Alpha and Omega Book 2: The Fallen
by Xed Alpha
Summary: Having been cast down at the conclusion of his battle with the Leviathans, Shinji Ikari finds himself caught between his new world and an old one that looks suspiciously familiar. And while he may be trapped with only one companion, a certain someone universes away prepares to go to any lengths to see his return. Rated M to be safe
1. Chapter 1: Miscalculation

**Version 1.06 Corrections and typos done (thanks for the assist Vandenbz!)**

[A/N] Okay, I'm normally not one for splitting my time, but due to many of the rather passionate requests I've received to get this moving, I've decided to at least work this fic in parallel with my other one. There will of course be spoilers for Evangelion Q/3.0 so if you've not seen it, might be best if you go get a copy (from a completely legitimate source) and give it a viewing. Either way I'll try not to make it too over the head for those who haven't or just aren't NGE fans. Enough intros. Let's get started…

**Alpha and Omega **

**Book 2: The Fallen**

**Chapter 1: Miscalculation**

Asuka stayed ducked behind the dune, watching carefully the proceedings in the valley below. She'd been worried that the Ayanami clone might try and give them away, or that Shinji might wander out into the open. However, neither did anything. Neither had uttered a single word.

Asuka barely managed to get off a communication to the AAA Wunder before everything had gone to static. And while she hadn't been able to relay the actual details about what was happening before comms were jammed, she had at least let them know where they were.

The three, hulking green forms of the Mass Production EVA's stood over the collapsed form of the new Unit-01, surveying it almost curiously, as if they were just as confused by it as Asuka was. Two had their pallet rifles raised in a guarded stance while the other carried a large, twin-bladed lance.

The situation was not good. Units 02 and 08 were quite literally in pieces, and now all WILLE had left in its arsenal, besides their flying fortress of course, was the power source they used to keep their ship in the air: the original Evangelion Unit-01, which they daren't use due to the risk of it causing another impact. And of course then there was Evangelion 13 which, assuming WILLE had even managed to salvage it after the battle, was probably about a thousand times more dangerous to use than Unit-01.

And now NERV had secured another EVA. And as Asuka hadn't heard any screaming or shouting on the other end of her communication before it cut out, she assumed therefore that the Wunder was still airborne, and that its main power source _hadn't_ simply vanished into thin air only to reappear down here. Asuka counted that as a small blessing, else by now the ship would've plummeted to the ground, most likely killing everyone on board.

And wouldn't that have just topped her day off?

All they could do was sit and wait until finally the EVAs began moving. The one armed with the lance hoisted the limp form of Unit-01 over its shoulder, while the other two fell into step either side of it, their huge shapes moving dangerously close over the three figures below.

Asuka moved to stand, only for the sand to give way under her foot. She let out a startled curse that was far louder than she intended before ducking down again, hands clamped over her mouth.

Asuka's breath caught in her throat when one of the two guarding EVAs froze, the other two stopping a few steps ahead after that. To her mounting horror, it then turned fluidly around to look at her head-on.

Asuka now knew how the deer felt in the instant before the truck hit.

The second in which the EVA just stood there looking down at Asuka seemed to stretch on to forever, before it finally turned ahead once more, and then simply carried on its way.

To her surprise, Asuka didn't find relief washing over her like she expected. Instead she felt a wave of shame and rage welling up from within. She _wanted_ to tell herself that the Evangelion's Dummy System simply hadn't recognized her, and that it must have just had higher priorities than dispatching one lone civilian, but she knew that wasn't the case.

Of course the EVA had recognized her; it knew she was a pilot for the enemy organisation.

But she hadn't been classed as a threat…not any more.

She was an EVA pilot without an EVA: a being of such little strategic value that she wasn't even worth the time it would take to step on her.

She felt an almost childish level of resentment rise up as she looked back at the two she was escorting.

Even _they_ would have more value to WILLE than she would now.

Asuka steeled herself and pushed those emotions aside. That wasn't her any more: those petulant feelings were merely a result of the unending hormonal storm that she had to endure as a result of the childish body she was cursed with.

But then she remembered it: that one moment in the recent fight; the one where she probably could've made a difference.

Shinji had asked her why she wasn't actually there to help him fix the world, why she wasn't on his side.

And what had she told him? In that one instant, in that one second she had to stop everything; to explain calmly?

Shut up and die.

Not 'stop the EVA, it's a trap. You've been tricked and you'll kill us all.'

Shut up and die.

Not, 'Misato will explain everything, please trust me.'

_Nope._

Just…shut up and die.

Asuka clenched her eyes closed and suppressed a groan.

Even though her words had been said in the heat of battle and even _if_ she hadn't meant them literally, the fact remained: she had royally screwed this up. One moment of childish petulance and it was over.

In the end she'd been reduced to begging him to stop, but that was at the last moment, when she knew he was too far gone, when even the lie was more preferable to him than the reality.

Shut up…and die: The words she had almost doomed the world with. And her error had cost her Evangelion Unit-02.

Asuka almost forgave him for backhanding her across the face with EVA-13. The only thing that had stung, that always stung, was that he hadn't come back for her. Her eyes flicked back to Rei.

He'd come back for _her_, even after he felt that NERV had betrayed him over the Dummy System incident.

Asuka shook her head and pushed herself back to her feet. It was not the time to be consumed by such thoughts. She might not be of much use in a combat role in the future, but for now at least, Asuka Langley Shikinami still had a duty to perform: She had to make sure her two charges got back to WILLE intact and, above that, Misato would need to know just how strange the day had really become.

Little did Asuka know however, that as strange as her day had gotten, it wasn't anywhere near as bizarre as the events transpiring aboard the Wunder.

-α-

"This is Ibuki," came Maya's voice over the comm link to the Wunder's bridge.

"Maya," said Ritsuko, approaching the monitor screen, "What do you have to report? Surveillance is still down around the main engine section. Are there any anomalies down there?"

When those two bright flashes of light had shot out of the closing Room of Gauf, the Wunder's sensors had gone wild, and electrical systems across half the ship had been shot to hell by the energy surge. It was so bad that only half of their direct internal communication lines still worked, and radio was completely down. Ritsuko was just thankful that the energy feed from Unit-01 hadn't been disturbed any further than it had been when Mark. 09 tried to take control of the ship from them.

Full restoration of the main engine –or Unit-01 as it was best known— would take quite some time, and it would be at least a week before they dared generate a strong enough A.T. Field to use as a credible defence.

Ritsuko just prayed that the reprieve they seem to have been bought at the end of Near Fourth Impact lasted that long.

Her eyes traveled to the main display. It was currently zoomed in on a spot in low orbit. A strange swirling wisp of blue hung there, marking the spot of the almost-closed Room of Gauf, the same spot from which the two orbs of light had come through.

Just what did it mean?

"Ma'am?" came Maya's voice again, loud and urgent this time.

"What is it?" asked Misato as she crossed over to investigate the commotion, seeming almost grateful for the distraction. Ritsuko noted how Misato had been almost deathly quiet since the end of Fourth Impact. Though to be fair, she had barely spoken outside of giving commands since they had retrieved Shinji from Unit-01.

"We have a situation!"

"What's your status, Maya?" asked Ritsuko.

"Ma'am…it's…I think it's…" she trailed off.

"Maya?" repeated Ritsuko, prompting her to continue and exchanging a confused glance with the Captain.

"It's… an _alien_. There's…some kind of alien life form down here."

Confusion turned to alarm, and Misato stepped closer to the communication display, "I don't have time for jokes, Ibuki."

"Ma'am, I wish it was," she responded, "Now unless she has the best prosthetics I've ever seen, then what's lying in front of me right now is definitely not human, and she's not alone."

"Why do you call it a she?" asked Ritsuko.

"Well she _looks_ humanoid," said Maya, sounding briefly flustered, "and…_mammalian_, if you follow my meaning, ma'am."

Ritsuko frowned, "Understood. We're dispatching a security squad to your location in isolation gear. We'll have to quarantine you all once they get there if what you say is true. Show caution in the meanwhile."

"I understand, ma'am. I'm approaching the other entity now," said Maya slowly.

"Careful…"

"It's okay, ma'am. They both seem to be unconscious. This one, he looks human. There's some kind of weapon lying by him." There was a pause, "Disarmed him. I'm just going to check his…"

The long silence that then followed was almost audible, "What is it?" asked Ritsuko, her voice rising slightly, "Maya?"

"Ma'am…" she whispered, "I…It's…I…I don't understand…"

"Speak to me, Maya. That's an order, "said Misato. Being blind to events was bad enough, but deaf too was just pushing it.

"Captain, you need to get down here…" said Maya, as if giving up on explaining.

"Sum it up, Maya: Even if it's just one word, give me something."

"One word, ma'am?" whispered Maya, clearly spooked to the core, somehow even more so than by the supposed alien she'd just seen, "I'll give you two…" there followed the audible sound of the former technician swallowing a gulp, "…Shinji Ikari."

"_What?_" breathed Ritsuko.

"I don't know how to explain this, ma'am, but I know that face. I'm looking right at the Third Child, only…" she trailed off again.

"Only _what_?" snapped Misato.

"Only, he's not a child..."

Ritsuko didn't need to wait to know what her captain was about to say, "Have the area secured, Maya," said the vice-captain, "We're on our way over now."

"Yes, ma'am."

-α-

Misato looked down over the room below. The isolation chamber was a dark, bloody red in colour. The tank in the centre was surrounded by numerous restraints and pillars marked with Angel sealing glyphs for added protection, "Well?" she asked, turning to the real time feed of the image from within the tank; of the young man who, for all intents and purposes, looked to be sleeping soundly.

Ritsuko shook her head and looked at the display pad in her hand, "He's…_human_. There's no other way of looking at it. No sign of mental or physical contamination whatsoever, I can't even see any of the markers associated with the effects of LCL exposure. Genetically speaking, he's identical to our Shinji Ikari. The only difference present is the lower hormonal levels in his bloodstream, which indicate he's no longer in adolescence."

"How old?" asked Misato, her arms crossed tightly in front of her as she continued to regard the image.

Ritsuko inclined her head and paced slightly, "It's a bit difficult to pin down precisely. My best estimate would be somewhere between eighteen and nineteen years old."

"All grown up…" murmured Misato under her voice. She then tilted her head around to look at Ritsuko, "Could he be a clone?"

Ritsuko shook her head, "There would be residual genetic markers. Plus, the neural activity we're detecting indicates years of development, which is at odds with being aged artificially." She then hummed thoughtfully as she read the next lines on the report.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, we're just picking up some residual ethanol traces in his blood works; Indicative of alcohol consumption within the past twenty-four to forty-eight hours, at least from his perspective anyway."

"And why is that strange?"

Ritsuko shrugged, "it's not. If anything, it's almost surprisingly mundane. I was just hoping for something a little more…abnormal."

"So he's been enjoying himself. That's hardly an issue. You have anything else?"

She shook her head and sighed, "_No_, but his endorphin levels are unnaturally high, almost as if he's been recently engaged in prolonged…" she trailed off and just mumbled the rest under her voice.

"Prolonged what?"

"It shouldn't be for me to say. It's most likely irrelevant regardless."

Misato shot the doctor an even icier glare than usual, "That's for me to decide."

Ritsuko resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "A prolonged period of extremely intense sexual activity," she intoned, her voice raising just a few decibels to express her exasperation, "Would you like me to put that in the report also, Captain?"

"No. That will do, Ritsuko. Do you have any theories about where they came from?"

"Only vague ones, nothing concrete. There's only one way to know for sure."

Misato returned her attention to the monitor, "You mean we wake him up."

She nodded.

"What else do you have?" asked Misato.

Ritsuko inclined her head and led the Captain out. They travelled a short distance to another lab. Inside was a series of sealed scanning tables. Visible through their transparent tops were various articles.

Ritsuko stopped by the nearest one. Within was a white garment. In shape it resembled a long tuxedo jacket complete with tails, only it was white in colour and seemed to be made of a leathery material as opposed to regular fabric, on its back was emblazoned a logo none of them recognised, "There's this…" said Ritsuko, nodding at the item of clothing.

"His coat? What about it?"

"It's not just a jacket; it's body armor," said Ritsuko, "Every single thing he was wearing was. And while we can't tell if it was designed for that function primarily, we've done some prelim tests and confirmed it certainly does double up to serve that purpose admirably.

"One of our security team fired a full magazine of armor piercing rounds at this from almost point blank range; there wasn't so much as a _blemish_ left behind. Whatever this thing is designed to stop, it must pack a lot more force than our regular ordinance.

"The materials surface is actually comprised of billions of microscopic honeycombs. Each is covered by a thin membrane containing some unknown form of liquid polymer. When that polymer reacts with air it instantly solidifies and becomes harder than steel, the membrane then restores itself and becomes solid once more after a short period. I've…_never_ seen anything like this. The material and design methodology, it's completely and utterly alien. It's also well beyond anything we have. We added about three different elements to the periodic table just by running an electron microscope over the surface."

"Can you duplicate the armoring technology in the short-term?" asked Misato.

She shook her head, "It would take decades to even figure out the basic fundamentals. The sheer gap in terms of technological generations is too vast to allow any simple reverse engineering. We would also need large quantities of minerals and elements that don't even occur naturally on this planet to replicate it to any useful quantity."

"We also don't have the time to be researching new technologies from scratch," said Misato, "What else?"

She led her to another table. A glove-like device attached to a bracelet was set within, "The device we retrieved from his wrist." She explained, nodding at it, "We think it's some kind of personal computer." Ritsuko unsealed the table and retrieved the device. She pressed a control and a holographic screen shimmered into being. An angry red message was visible, written in clear Japanese script. "This you might find interesting…" she said, handing it over to the Misato.

Misato read the message, and indeed, it was quite telling:

**LOCKOUT MODE ACTIVE.**

**BIOMETRIC SENSORS DETECT UNKNOWN USER. **

**IF FOUND, PLEASE RETURN TO IKARI SHINJI, C/O ARIA T'LOAK, AFTERLIFE NIGHTCLUB, OMEGA STATION, OMEGA NEBULA/MESSIER 17/NGC 6618, SAGITTARIUS CONSTELLATION.**

**A 10000 CREDIT REWARD IS ASSURED FOR THE FINDER.**

"Messier Seventeen?" murmured Misato.

"Misato," said Ritsuko, "that's over six _thousand_ light years away."

"And yet it reads like it's just returning a suitcase. Can you access it?"

Again, a shake of the head, and Misato could see the frustration this time, "Nothing. I've scanned the device and the layout is…nonsensical would be the best way to describe it."

"You mean it's beyond you."

Ritsuko looked away and tossed the device back down, a brief loss of professionalism on her part, "There are no seals or access ports on the device. Whatever's used for taking it apart or interfacing with it, we don't have anything like it. Short of breaking it into pieces, there's nothing we can do."

"How more advanced is it? Are we talking decades..." Ritsuko looked away, "…_centuries?_"

"I don't know. Once you get to more than one or two generations of technological advancement ahead, it gets hard to predict how long further advancement will take. But ignoring that, and ignoring the actual technology, with computer code and software we could make leaps and bounds in mere days or weeks, if we could only get into the damned thing.

"New software and encryption methodologies could help us overwhelm NERV electronically if we could get into the software architecture."

Misato nodded, her eyes going to the other device on the table. It was obviously a variant of the one the_ 'new'_ Shinji had been wearing, even if it did have a slightly more curved and feminine design, "The alien's?" asked Misato, nodding at it.

Ritsuko nodded, "Yes, it was wearing this one. It doesn't seem to be locked out like the other, but it still seems to require an access code. At least we _think_ that's what it's asking for…" and, as if to explain what she meant, Ritsuko tapped a control on the device. Again a display came up, only the writing was completely illegible in this instance.

"An alien language?" murmured Misato, looking at the curved, almost artistic scrawls across the display. Despite their bizarre nature, Misato couldn't help but notice a strange, almost elegant order to the script. She noted the blinking text indicator. It certainly did _look_ like a log in screen.

"We assume as much. The creature wasn't wearing armor, and while the fabric in it's garments was also certainly alien, it appeared to actually be hand woven, albeit to a very high standard."

Ritsuko opened the table and lifted out the red dress, "It's been scanned. There's no bacterial or radioactive danger present," said Ritsuko, offering it out to Misato, "What do you notice?"

Misato pulled a glove off and ran a hand over the surface. It had a texture like silk but seemed slightly more durable. However that wasn't what hit her first. There was a slightly perfumed scent emanating from it, but above that, there was something else clinging to it, something familiar, "It smells like smoke; like…_gunfire_?"

Ritsuko nodded, "My thoughts exactly. The creature also had signs of slight bruising and minor lacerations on it's skin, as if it had recently been in a combat situation."

"And 'Shinji' – for lack of a better name at the moment, was armed when he arrived…"

"The question is:" said Ritsuko, "Were they fighting as allies, or were they enemies?"

Misato nodded as she stood over the remaining bench. A white pistol lay within. The top of the weapon barrel was open, revealing an empty cylindrical chamber, "No mysteries about what this is."

Ritsuko nodded, "The weapon has what appears to be an empty slot for a clip of some kind. Neither of them had any ammunition on their persons however."

"They could've dropped it," commented Misato.

"No, I don't think that's the case," said Ritsuko. And she nodded to the final bench. On it was a small pile of blackened soot and charred fragments, "Do you know what that is?" she asked.

Misato looked down upon it, "Tell me."

"It's debris we pulled out of the coolant filtration system around the main engine. The trace alloys and elements match some of the alien ones. Shinji's sidearm was also lying open by his hand."

"You think he detonated his ammunition," assumed Misato.

Ritsuko nodded, "And then locked down his technology before losing consciousness; a sound tactical precaution in an unknown environment."

"If you're right," said Misato, "then it's doubtful he intended to come here at all, else why bring the ammunition at all?"

"I suppose that's logical."

"So it's likely he won't have any real designs in mind. Is there anything else?" asked Misato.

"No, that's all we've managed to learn so far, besides one small thing, and I do mean small." She then turned and tapped a control on the wall. Two black screens lit up, revealing a pair of images similar to x-rays in appearance.

The images were both of limbs, and while one seemed to be laid out differently to the other physiologically, there was one thing that they had in common: both clearly had some kind of tiny metallic object embedded in them under the surface.

"What are they?" asked Misato.

Ritsuko shrugged, "Some kind of cybernetic implant. Our scans almost missed them. Shinji's is embedded among the nerves in his arm. The alien has one in a similar position in it's right leg."

"Do you know what they might be for?"

She shook her head, "Sorry. However, with your permission we could attempt exploratory surgery to-"

"-for what purpose?" cut in Misato, "Do you think you could learn anything more than what you already do by simply being able to hold it in your hand?"

"At the moment? Most likely not, but we could still remove them for safety's sake."

"And if they're some kind of medical implement? For all you know they could be keeping them alive in some way."

Ritsuko said nothing.

"And if you damage them physically by digging unknown technology out of their nerves?"

Again, no response.

"Ritsuko, permission denied. What about the alien? That is, you have _confirmed_-_"_

"-The entity is most definitely an alien," cut in Ritsuko, drifting over to a nearby table. On it was a Plexiglas case sealed with orange biohazard tape. Resting within was a lone test tube containing a dark violet fluid.

"Is that…"

"Alien blood," confirmed Ritsuko, "or at least what it has that passes for blood. Our doctors had trouble even locating a vein initially. It may have similar organs, but it's vascular system is completely different to ours in terms of layout. The composition of the blood is completely unlike our own also. While oxidised iron gives our blood its colour, the alien's seems to have an element in it with properties similar to zinc. It would give their race an almost natural immunity to slightly elevated levels of radiation that would normally cause tumours in humans over long periods of exposure. It's very impressive.

"Whatever the creature is, it most certainly did not evolve on this planet, though their world is most likely very similar to Earth, hence why it evolved into a shape so similar to ours and why it seems to have no trouble surviving in our atmosphere."

They departed the room as Ritsuko walked to a window overlooking the quarantine ward. Within, figures in sealed hazmat suits drifted about the bed containing their only patient, "You keep referring to her as _it_," commented Misato as she looked across at the unconscious form.

Ritsuko looked away from the being, "Because I'm not quite sure it even qualifies as what we would refer to as a woman. Our scans indicate what appears to be a reproductive system that looks at least _cosmetically_ similar to that of a human female, but…"

"But?"

"_But_, having mapped some of its…_her…_genetic code, she appears to lack many of the markers that would even _indicate_…"

"Indicate what?" asked Misato, a note of irritation in her tone.

Ritsuko shook her head once more, "That there even _is _another gender in her species."

Misato's brow furrowed, "If that were the case, then why-"

"-Why would they have evolved a reproductive system that seems designed to be compatible with a bigendered race such as ours when it appears to serve no purpose, complete with apparent nerve clusters seemingly designed for nothing _but_ to create enjoyment from such a form of copulation?" cut in Ritsuko, having asked the question to herself already.

Misato nodded.

"I have no idea. One of the only possibilities I can conclude is that they were genetically engineered in some way to be compatible in that sense, as if to promote the concept of copulation with races other than their own. Though I'm not sure how that could be possible either. The sheer finesse and skill needed to genetically engineer an entire species to this level would defy belief."

"_Could_ she be some kind of genetically engineered life form? As an individual, not as a species."

Ritsuko shook her head, "No, at least not from what I can tell. Though some of what we've come back with has been so erroneous and bizarre that we're stuck with sheer conjecture."

"What do you mean, erroneous?"

"Well we've done some skin tests, and after analysing the layering on some of the scaled sections on her neck and the protrusions on the rear of her head, we've come back with a result that makes no sense."

"What do you mean? What kind of test was it?"

"Well, you're familiar with how the age of certain long-lived races such as sea turtles and reptiles can be calculated by examining their shells and the number of epidermal layers they've built up over the years, yes?"

Misato nodded. It was a lie, but that didn't mean she didn't grasp the concept.

"Well, we did a similar test with the alien and then did some calculations based of what we've observed from her rate of cellular division."

"You were trying to work out how old she is," assumed Misato, "and you failed?"

She frowned, "It wasn't so much that we failed. More like the results were simply ridiculous, and so we've diverted our attention to other areas for now."

"Ridiculous in what way?" asked Misato, briefly curious.

"Ridiculous in the way that, if our calculations _were_ right, the creature lying on the bed in there would have to be nearly a thousand years old."

"Since when did you spare people's feelings, Ritsuko?"

She didn't rise to the jibe, instead continuing, "As you can see then: preposterous. No humanoid life form can possibly have that kind of longevity, at least not…"

"At least not while maintaining that kind of appearance," finished Misato, "What have you estimated?"

"Well, her constitution is certainly impressive. Physically, in human terms I'd put her somewhere in her thirties, but that's just an educated guess."

"What about intellect?"

Ritsuko tapped a nearby screen, illuminating some scans that had been taken, "We've done the usual tests. Her brain is certainly impressive. Neural pathways that are far more complex than ours with lobes and redundancies whose purpose I can only guess at. Electrical activity is well above average too, or at the very least it was." She tapped several points on the screen, "Then there were these…"

Misato stepped closer, narrowing her eyes at the evenly spaced out white points on the scan, "What are those, some kind of tumors?"

"These nodules…we did think of them as possibly some kind of cancer that she may have been suffering from, but in a human, and with this level of growth, you wouldn't have anywhere near her level of vital activity, in fact you'd most likely be in a totally vegetative state." Ritsuko tapped her pen against her jaw, frowning in thought, "No, I'd say they serve some definite purpose. But short of doing a biopsy there's no way of knowing what."

"I would rather avoid cracking open the skull of a sapient alien life form if at all possible, Ritsuko." Misato's brow then furrowed, "What did you mean: her brain activity _was_ above average?"

Ritsuko averted her eyes and seemed to shift on the spot. The reaction was not lost on the captain, "Ritsuko…Ritsuko, what did you do?"

"I did nothing," she snapped, looking sharply back at the Captain, "You ordered she be kept sedated, but her constitution was so strong that she would've probably regained consciousness moments after we brought her in. We had to…improvise."

"Ritsuko…" said Misato quietly, her tone low and warning.

Ritsuko's eyes remained glued to the floor for a long moment before finally speaking again, "A concentrated dose of acepromazine…" she finally said, her voice small.

"What?"

Ritsuko closed her eyes and shook her head, "It's…a broad spectrum animal tranquiliser."

And Ritsuko wasn't shocked when she found herself slammed back against the bulkhead, "You used an _animal_ _tranquiliser_ on a creature from another planet?"

"We had nothing else at hand!" she snapped back, "The drugs we use on humans were too complex and would've probably had even more complications."

"What happened, Ritsuko?" growled Misato.

The vice-captain took a calming breath and stepped away from the wall, not meeting the captain's eyes, "There was…a complication. It's normally used to calm dangerous animals, so we thought it might delay her from coming round long enough to prepare countermeasures. We _had _to keep her under. We didn't know if she was hostile or not, nor what she was capable of."

"Well?" said Misato, prompting her to continue once she was sure the excuses were done with.

"The drug however is also an antipsychotic, and it ended up having a reaction with something in her neural chemistry. The end result was that it pushed her into a far deeper state of unconsciousness than we initially intended."

"How deep?"

"W-well you have to-"

"Answer the damned question!"

Ritsuko flinched, "In terms of the actual amount of activity in her brain, it's still very high…at least in human terms. Proportionately though…" Ritsuko looked off again, and Misato knew she wouldn't like the answer, "…she's bordering on being in a comatose state."

When Misato spoke again, her voice was far too calm, "Can you bring her out of it?"

Ritsuko could see the Captain was doing her best to control her temper, and so she continued, "We're doing all we can. If she were human we would just introduce the right series of stimulants to help bring her around, but we daren't risk it without further tests. One shot of the wrong form of adrenaline and we could cause a heart attack or even instant death. She _is_ stable for now though, Misato."

"What's the worst case scenario?"

"Worst case: We're unable to find the right series of drugs and treatments to bring her out of it; she'll slip into a deep coma; rapid neurological damage will then set in, assuming some hasn't been caused already by the shock to her system; brain death will then occur soon after that."

"How long?"

"I couldn't-"

"-_Estimate_," cut in Misato with a hiss, her patience long gone.

Ritsuko took a breath, "Four days, at best a week. After that…there'll be no point in even trying."

Misato pushed her anger to the side for now and went quiet, deep in thought.

She then made a command decision, "What if you had more information?"

Ritsuko saw instantly where she was going, "You can't seriously mean to-"

"-_Answer_…the question."

"Assuming he does know something, then I admit that it would boost her chances of survival substantially, but as vice-captain I must log my official objection-"

"-objection noted. Have Shinji Ikari moved to a secure ward and post a guard. We should have enough time to get the information you desire along with the information we need to correct this mistake."

"You assume it was a mistake. We still don't know what she can do."

"I'm well aware of that, but that still doesn't excuse what's been done." She turned to Ritsuko when she made no move to leave, "Is there something else?"

"Just one thing: We may also get the opportunity to gain access to invaluable intel and equipment. I just want your permission to take advantage of the opportunity should it present itself."

Misato looked away, "We'll do what we must to survive…"

"Understood, I'll have the process started immediately."

Misato turned to regard the unconscious alien once more. She would be tended to as best they could of course, but Misato had to also consider that Ritsuko might be right: Just what might this other Shinji know? Being older meant also the possibility that he was from the future, and a lot of the evidence certainly pointed towards that. And if that was the case, he might know what was coming; what Gendo Ikari was really up to.

That information could save the world. It would have value beyond comprehension. She had no doubt Ritsuko would go to any lengths to get it also; the sort of lengths she never could. But then that was why she was in command, why she hadn't, _couldn't_ pull the trigger on the DSS Choker despite Ritsuko's urging: Misato Katsuragi had to remain human. If she didn't, what would be the difference between her and the enemy she now fought to destroy?

But even then, Misato had to wonder: did she really have the luxury of morality any more, especially now that the world teetered on a knife edge?

Ritsuko certainly didn't think so.

Time would tell, for she was sure that many of their questions were soon to be answered.

-α-

"How are you doing, Mari?" Asked Ritsuko as she walked alongside the gurney being wheeled out of the containment chamber, Mari Makinami Illustrious having been waiting outside and had immediately begun prowling alongside.

Ritsuko had noticed the pilot on her way in, and that she'd been looking down upon the contained Shinji with a mischievous curiosity that she never seemed to have quite grown out of. Unlike Asuka, to Ritsuko it seemed as though Mari practically _reveled_ in her perpetual youth.

"A little tender around the hands, but fit and ready." said Mari, holding up her bandaged limbs cheerily before leaning back in to pay close scrutiny to the sleeping form, her face hovering inches above Shinji's as she walked alongside, "Well would you look at Puppy-kun? He… got…_hot_."

Ritsuko glanced over her clipboard at Shinji and back, "I wouldn't know."

"The lady isn't a bad looker either, for a Martian anyway."

"You're strange, Mari, have we ever mentioned that to you before?"

"On occasion."

"Anyway, how did you know about that?"

"I sneaked into the quarantine ward after lights-out to take a look," said Mari, blatantly not caring that she just admitted to breaching a secure wing.

Ritsuko sighed, "Did you at least wear an isolation suit?"

"_Maybe_…" chimed Mari in a sing-song voice, still strolling alongside, all the while keeping her curious, catlike stare locked close to the elder Third child, "Why, worried I'll catch Martian mumps or something?"

"I'm quite sure she's not from Mars, Mari…"

There was silence again for a moment, broken only by the squeaking of the gurney wheels.

"She smelled like lavender and war…"

Ritsuko just rolled her eyes.

Mari sighed dreamily, "Hmmm, but Doggie-kun smells like LCL and war. I think I might be in love."

Ritsuko clipped her pen pointedly closed, "Are you here for a reason?"

"Nope, I'm just here as an observer."

"Suit yourself…"

"Always do…"

-α-

_Some time later…_

"What's his status, Sakura?" murmured Ritsuko as she entered. There was a single bed in the isolation room, which was in turn currently flanked by a pair of security officers armed with assault rifles. The light of the sunset flowed in from the long window that occupied one wall.

"His vitals are strong, Vice-captain, but…"

"But what?"

Sakura set the chart back down at the base of the bed and turned fully toward Ritsuko, "But are we sure it's Ikari-san? I mean we just got that report that he's still down on the surface with Captain Shikinami. How could it _possibly-_"

"-We don't know yet," cut in Ritsuko as she circled around the bed, "But the Captain says we need to find out, and so that's what we're going to do."

"Will it be safe though? He's not even restrained."

"He's under guard, Sakura," replied the doctor, indicating the masked security officers, "And the fact remains that it is still just Shinji Ikari. We're quite confident we can contain one young man if he chooses to become hostile. There's also no sign he's even piloted an EVA before. He therefore poses no strategic threat in terms of becoming another Trigger."

"R-right," said Sakura, hesitating before asking, "D-do we know if Ikari-san is okay down on the surface?"

"He's uninjured from what we've been informed," replied Ritsuko offhandedly as she lifted one of Shinji's eyelids and shone a penlight over his iris.

The guards tensed when Shinji suddenly let out an irritated grumble, his brow scrunching up.

"Inform the Captain," said Ritsuko quickly as she leaned in closer.

"Yes, ma'am," replied Sakura, quickly departing as the guards moved to the bottom of the bed and took up defensive positions.

Shinji let out an incoherent mumble before rolling over and burying his face in the pillow.

Ritsuko opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off, "Turn off the damned light, Aria…" Shinji growled, "Hmmm did not sleep well at all." He murmured, voice muffled, "I had this horrible nightmare that Kaworu came to me in a vision and warned me that I'd been sent back in time and into an alternate reality, and everyone from NERV was there, only they're older…and assholes."

Ritsuko cocked a single eyebrow up.

"Shinji…can you hear me?" she asked tentatively.

An aura of sheer dread seemed to wash over Shinji Ikari as a horrible, detestable realisation came to him:

'I know that voice…'

Shinji shuffled his head around a few millimetres; just enough to allow him to flick his eye open and look at who was standing over him.

"Shinji…" said Ritsuko.

Slowly, Shinji rolled back over, a look of utterly disgusted disdain on his face, "Oh…_god_."

Suddenly the door at the other end of the room opened, and Misato Katsuragi strolled in, "Oh_ god_," repeated Shinji the instant he sighted her.

Another figure entered, "Oh go- who the hell are you?" asked Shinji with a scowl.

She blinked, "S-Sakura, Sakura Suzuhara."

"Oh _god_…" moaned Shinji, finding no further recourse other than to facepalm himself, "You're not Sakura," he objected, shaking his head from behind his hand.

"Yes I am."

"No you're not. Sakura was small…and _cute_. She used to do this funny blowfish impression whenever Toji did something stupid."

"I did not do a blowfish impression!" snapped Sakura, puffing up her cheeks into a pout.

Shinji rolled his eyes full circle, "Oh _god_, it really is you…" he groaned, massaging his temples in the hope of halting a rapidly oncoming headache. He threw his hands up into the air, "Anybody else want to turn up? Really? _Anybody_ at all…"

Suddenly, a voice came through on a loudspeaker, "Vice-captain Akagi, this is Hyuuga…"

"I was fucking _joking_!" barked Shinji.

The voice continued, "We just thought we'd let you know that we've received another report from Captain Shikinami. You might want to come up here when you have a second. It's…quite urgent."

"Are you feeling at all disorientated?" asked Ritsuko, making a mental note to look into that at the next opportunity.

"Why no, Ritsuko," replied Shinji with a smile that was just a bit too wide, "_How've you been_? I mean you are Ritsuko Akagi, aren't you?"

"Yes," she replied, "Listen, we just need you to answer some questions."

Shinji rubbed the bridge of his nose. Kaworu had somehow been able to impart the lowdown and warn him in advance of where he was, but he had been praying it was just some horrible Angel joke.

It wasn't.

"Listen, Doctor Akagi…"

"That's vice-captain Akagi," said Ritsuko.

Shinji's left eyebrow seemed to rise of its own accord, "Who in the hell would be stupid enough to put _you_ in a command position? I mean, no offence, but you're a bleach-blonde neurotic cat lady with unresolved mommy issues who is really only good in a tech support or middle management sort of role."

Silence fell.

"Don't…_presume_ to know me," said Ritsuko coldly.

"I did say no offence," murmured Shinji.

"_Some_ taken," replied Ritsuko through her teeth.

"In that case…sorry."

Shinji then turned to regard Misato. She had been pacing and was now standing at the foot of his bed, looking down at him.

Never had she done that before. Even when she was much taller than him, she always seemed to look at him like she was on his level.

"Oh, Misato-san…" said Shinji sadly, his hand rising up as if wanting to reach out towards her, "What happened to you?"

There was a flicker in her icy expression, the briefest of cracks, "I don't follow."

Shinji's eyebrows rose, "You don't follow?" he echoed disbelievingly, "Misato, you're wearing a silly Captain Ahab hat and a pair of child molester sunglasses. Now kindly permit me to repeat myself: what in the hell happened?"

She stopped her pacing to stand by the side of the bed, though she did steal a glance at her own reflection, "I had to change..." she responded quietly after a pause.

"You _changed_?" echoed Shinji with narrowed eyes, his tone sounding as if he really did not buy a word of it.

She nodded slowly.

"And so, out of all the people you chose to change yourself into, you picked…my _father_?"

There was a sudden intake of breath on her part. That one had hurt, "We are at war with NERV," she replied, her tone barely above a whisper.

"Really, and so you _became_ your enemy," he nodded ponderingly, "An interesting strategy, if a bit self-defeating."

Shinji's words may have sounded cold and designed to do nothing but hurt and dent those around him in their most sensitive spots, but that wasn't his goal. No, now that he had come to his senses, Shinji's current aim was something far more simple and short-term:

Get one of them within arm's reach.

There was someone he had to find. He had a responsibility, and he could worry about himself later.

But Shinji Ikari couldn't help but feel a bit low when it turned out to be Misato that his words worked best with. Things seemed to slow as her hand lunged down to grab a handful of his hospital fatigues.

She leaned down into his face, "You've talked enough, now it's my turn to ask a-"

There was a blur of movement and Misato suddenly found herself dragged onto the bed and straight into a chokehold. Shinji's arm was about her throat, his knee buried into the curve of her spine, completely immobilising her.

The guards brought their weapons to bear and Shinji shifted, dragging Misato back further and keeping her in their line of fire. The pressure on Misato's throat increased, "Nobody move!" he barked, "One twist of my arm and you lose your Captain!"

Misato tried to struggle, only to find the difference in upper body strength to be too great.

He had her.

Shinji was then mildly shocked when Misato seemed to relax in his arms, "Do as he says. And lower your weapons also."

"Ma'am?" one of them asked.

"You heard me," she replied calmly. She then turned her eyes to look right into Shinji's, peering out at him over the top of her glasses, "You've become strong, Shinji-kun…"

Shinji's eyes became just a little forlorn, "I had to change too…"

She stared into the dark blue depths of his eyes for a moment, "Would you really kill me?"

Shinji hissed a breath through his teeth and just looked right back at her, "Damn you…" he whispered.

"Too late for that…" she replied just as quietly.

After what seemed to be an eternity of silence, they seemed to just melt away from one another. Shinji then flopped back again against his pillow and just stared listlessly at the ceiling. The guards made a move to advance, but Misato just shook her head at them and they halted again. She took a second to straighten her attire before returning to her former posture over Shinji.

Unshaken and unbroken.

How very Misato.

"Will you cooperate?" she asked.

"Can I ask you something first?" asked Shinji.

"Well?"

"How old are you now?" he asked, seeming genuinely curious, "Late thirties…"

"Forty-three..."

Shinji blinked, and he smiled for the first time, "fourteen years...or it would've been if you were my Misato. I'm glad time has been so kind to you..."

Misato didn't seem to know how to respond for a moment, before finally saying, "Same."

Shinji just smiled weakly and shook his head, bangs ruffling against his pillow, "Oh no, no it hasn't. I'm old, Misato-san, and I am so, _so_ tired..." He said, his voice breaking for one brief instant.

"I don't understand."

He just shook his head again, "You were right about one thing: I could never kill you, _any_ version of you. That much I admit." He then sat fluidly up and locked eyes with Misato once more, "Now then. I'm going to ask you the same question you just asked me: Will you cooperate? Or are you going to make this difficult?"

Her brow furrowed, "Is that some kind of threat?"

Shinji shook his head, "I would never threaten you, Misato-san, never you. And I really am sorry, but now that I'm convinced this isn't just some horrible nightmare, I have an obligation to a client whose appointment I never quite got to finish, and who is therefore technically still in my care as far as I see it. I'm sorry, but I simply _cannot_ risk you refusing to answer the following question…"

Misato frowned, "What are you talking about, what question?"

Shinji didn't respond with words. Instead, with one smooth movement, he withdrew his left hand from under the blanket and Ritsuko Akagi suddenly found herself looking right down the barrel of Misato's service pistol.

Everyone in the room tensed, both guards froze, neither daring to move.

Like a switch flipped, Shinji's expression had become hard. His eyes were far colder than Misato's, his expression more impassive than his father's.

The gun was pointed at Ritsuko, but still Shinji kept his eyes on Misato, and only now did Misato Katsuragi finally realise that she _wasn't_ dealing with a completely different kind of Shinji Ikari. No, she had always told him to do things because he wanted to; to follow through to the end and not because he was just being told to.

This was the Shinji Ikari who just smirked at her when he'd been dragged back after running away for days; the Shinji Ikari who picked up that positron rifle when nobody would've blamed a child for giving up right then and there; the Shinji Ikari who climbed back into Unit-01 after NERV had stabbed him in the back and then burned a world just to save one child.

No, this wasn't a different Shinji...

This was _her_ Shinji.

A mechanical click resounded through the small room, and Consort Ikari of Omega just _smiled, _"Now then…where is Councillor Tevos?"

-α-

_To be continued…_

-XA-

[A/N] This is always a joy to write, and fun to be back into it. As normal, this is alpha version and corrections will be handled should I spot them . Well, splicing my writing time between two fics seemed daunting, but I really think it helps keep things fresh. Yes…this fic is officially a go. Just an intro chapter to set the scene for now though. I won't give my plans away, but I still hope you enjoy what's to come.

Catch you in Chapter 2: Shadow Consort


	2. Chapter 2: Shadow Consort

**V1.1 Beta'd version 15/02/2014 Thank you kindly, Vandenbz**

[A/N] I was genuinely startled by the reaction to the first chapter. I suppose enthusiasm is infectious. Was going to do one chapter of my other fic followed by one of this, but ideas keep exploding out so bad that it's driving me mad, ergo I'm going to do it day by day, one day doing one and the other the next. For those who haven't noticed, I tend to write in a sort of a serial format, hence why things tend to end on cliff hangers or in the middle of scenes; I just like things to flow from one bit to the next. So if you really hate those cliff hangers you should probably stop now, because I promise that most likely won't be the last one. Now then, if you're one of the few who read this bit, thank you. It warms me that you pay attention to my ramblings, but for the rest I'll just shut up now and stop wasting space on your monitor.

**Chapter 2: Shadow Consort**

"Don't do this, Shinji-kun…" said Misato carefully, far more concerned with this Shinji's choice of action to care about his queries.

"You expect me to believe that you of all people would just shoot me?" asked Ritsuko, trying to sound as unthreatened as possible, but when you've got a .50 calibre bullet just itching to redecorate the wall with your grey matter it isn't easy to maintain your composure entirely.

Shinji was getting irritated over the fact that they'd ignored his question entirely, but first thing's first, "I don't think you've quite noticed, Doctor-"

"-vice captain," she interjected.

Shinji rolled his eyes, which probably wasn't wise considering his current situation, "I don't think you've _noticed_, Brigadier General Akagi, but I don't exactly _like _you very much.

"The last time we met, at least from my perspective, you massacred all of Rei's clones right in front of my eyes just to get one over on my father. Reliable sources also informed me, that shortly thereafter you went absolutely _batshit_ insane and tried to blow up NERV Central in some ridiculous attempt at murder-suicide." He cocked his head, "Lucky Caspar betrayed you…"

Ritsuko's composure finally seemed to break and she wavered on the spot. It appeared to take her a moment to relocate her centre of gravity, "That never…_happened_," she whispered, another few buttons pressed.

"_Yet." _added Shinji, causing her to bristle more, "Then you got shot."

"Be quiet…" she whispered.

"That bit made me chuckle, especially considering how expendable I always seemed to be in your eyes."

"I _said-_"

"-and _then_ you got turned into LCL. In retrospect, you really were having a _very_ bad day."

"Shut up!" she shrieked in an attempt to silence him. She then took a few heaving breaths to calm herself, "I never viewed you –the other you- that way, not on a personal level anyway. I just understand that sacrifices sometimes have to be made."

"So not personally expendable, merely professionally…for the greater good?" queried Shinji.

Ritsuko took another breath and then scowled defiantly. She went so far as to bat the barrel of the gun out of her face for a second, "_Yes!_ It is not a perfect world, Shinji and sometimes horrible, detestable choices have to be made. I'm sure that after the end it'll all be well and good for us to say that 'at least we stayed true to our principals', but I'm not sure that'll be much of a consolation to the billions who will lie dead just so we get to sleep soundly at night.

"If I have to be the one to sell my soul so humanity can survive, then I'll gladly be the one to do that."

Shinji blinked, actually seeming taken aback by her honesty, "So you genuinely think that you do the right thing?"

"No…" she admitted, "I very rarely think I do. I just have to be the one who does what _has_ to be done." Shinji saw her spare Misato a brief glare. Obviously he was missing some context there.

He would have to look into that later.

"I can almost respect that in a way," said Shinji, "So you're just playing your part, are you? I find that comforting."

Ritsuko's brow furrowed, "In what way?"

"In that, even though events seem to have changed and this ridiculous war has been stretched out for fourteen years longer than it should have, you are all the exact same people deep down. None of you have changed. That, Vice-captain Akagi, I find _immensely_ reassuring…"

"And why is that exactly?"

Shinji just smiled in response, "You really don't want me to answer that question."

He then paused to briefly assess the situation: He had to accept that while he knew he could swat WILLE's forces aside with his A.T. field and render himself completely invulnerable to conventional, biological and chemical attacks just like any other Angel, Shinji didn't know what kind of anti-A.T. field ammunition they might be packing, nor did he know if they had any active Evangelion units.

While he might have some power as an Angel, Shinji knew that an active EVA was not something he could face without Unit-01 backing him up, and that was out of his range of detection at the moment. He therefore made a mental note to track it down at his next available opportunity.

He then returned his attention to Ritsuko, "I suppose I also forgot to mention the time you planned to salvage Unit-01 from an Angel by dropping nearly a thousand N2 mines on my head."

"That never happened either!" she snapped.

"Really?" asked Shinji, seeming mildly interested, "Thank you for that."

"Ritsuko…" said Misato warningly and the scientist gritted her teeth with frustration, realising he'd prodded her into revealing tactical information.

Ritsuko arched her head toward the security officers, "Restrain him! He hasn't even chambered a round yet!"

Shinji smirked, his finger tightening.

"Stop!" shouted Misato, flinging her hand up to halt them. The guards froze, their weapons raised an inch.

"Misato…" gasped Ritsuko, wondering what she could possibly be thinking.

Shinji was still smiling, "You're forgetting something, Ritsuko…"

"And what's that?" she asked, scowling at both of them in equal measure.

"I know Misato Katsuragi," said Shinji, who then nodded at the weapon he held unwaveringly in one hand, "and this is her gun."

"Your point?"

"This is a Universal Service Pistol; Mark III if I remember right," he said, "My Misato carried the exact same weapon. I see you opted for the .50 as opposed to the .40 too, but then you always were a fan of stopping power."

Misato said nothing.

"The downside of that choice being," said Shinji, "only seven rounds, _unless…_" he trailed off and looked to Ritsuko, waiting for her to finish.

"One in the chamber," breathed Ritsuko.

Shinji inclined his head, "A bit dangerous, but then Misato would always rather take that risk than chance having one less bullet than she might someday actually need."

Misato kept her expression blank.

He was right, every single damned word of it.

"The safety however, that was on up until a moment ago. I didn't notice that to start with."

Ritsuko's scowl deepened and Shinji cocked his head back to indicate Misato, "I'm guessing she did though." He turned to look at her directly once more, "Why didn't you jump me when you had the chance?"

"Tevos…" said Misato, "Who is that exactly?"

Shinji rolled his eyes again, "That's the name of the asari who was with me."

"Asari?" she enquired.

"Yes, the asari matriarch," he clarified.

No response.

"The asari representative," he then tried.

Again, just blank stares.

Shinji groaned painfully, "The blue-skinned _space lady!_"

"I see…" said Misato, seemingly not worried by the fact that Shinji still had a deadly weapon aimed at her first officer, "So that's her name, is it?"

Shinji frowned, "What, you mean she hasn't said anything to you yet?" Shinji found that immensely odd. Tevos would normally try to negotiate her way out of any situation. Failing that, and unless she had a gun pointed at her at point blank range or if someone else was under threat, she would just flatten them with her biotics.

Misato was silent for just a split-second longer than she should've been, "…No." she said.

The discomfort and hesitation in the reply was not lost on Shinji.

Ritsuko took a step back as the gun pointed at her levelled out clear at her forehead. Shinji was retaking his aim, and making a point of it this time.

The elder Third Child glowered darkly at Misato, "Where is she?"

"You asked why I didn't try and take that weapon from you…" responded Misato, not answering yet.

Shinji frowned, "Well?"

"It's because my intention was to take you to her regardless. Give me back my gun and I'll-"

"-I think I'm fine as I am," cut in Shinji, "retain a position of power when negotiating, isn't that rule one?" He glanced around, "Where are my clothes?"

"You have been redressed in appropriate attire already."

Shinji glanced down at the fatigues they'd dressed him in, "I'll rephrase. Where are _my_ clothes?"

"I can have something different prepared for you if-"

"-Don't fuck with me, Misato!" snapped Shinji.

"I'm not giving you back your armour and weapons!" she shouted back, matching him in volume.

Shinji scoffed, "You call that armour? On Omega we call it casual attire."

"Omega…" mused Misato, remembering the name from earlier, "That's the name of a supposed space station, isn't it?"

'So…' thought Shinji, 'unless I sewed my address into the lining of my boxer shorts, and I'm relatively sure I didn't, she has my Omnitool...'

He made another mental note. He needed to get that back as quickly as possible. In fact he considered it an even higher priority than Unit-01.

"I think we've talked enough," said Shinji, not answering her question, "Order your guards to surrender their firearms, restraints, and radios."

"And why should I do that?"

"Because I'd rather have you cooperate than be forced to put a couple of bullets in them to ensure they don't raise the alarm. Even from this distance I can spot about a dozen gaps in their armour that I can easily land a critical injury through…and I only need to hit two of them. Now, you can give me what I want or I can take it, your choice. Do you want your men dead, Misato-san, or do you want them alive?"

Misato considered the fact that Shinji was probably bluffing. If he were even an iota like her Shinji, then he wouldn't resort to lethal force unless backed right into a corner and had literally no other option. She therefore chose to avoid pushing him that far.

She nodded at the guards to acquiesce.

Even through their masks the guards clearly didn't look happy as they unshouldered their weapons and tossed them none too gently onto the bed atop Shinji's legs, followed by their cuffs and radios.

"Keys too please."

They grumbled and then tossed the two small key rings down to join the rest of the equipment.

Shinji waved Ritsuko aside with his gun and then slipped out of bed, staggering as he fought off a wave of dizziness and barely managing to keep his weapon trained on them.

After shouldering the two weapons and pocketing a radio, Shinji arched about and flung the other off the opposite wall, shattering it into useless fragments, "Huh…that was poorly made." he murmured, pocketing the pistol and switching to one of the machine guns, "Now then," he said, turning to the guards, "if you'd be so kind as to cuff yourselves to the bed…"

"Captain!" one of the humiliated guards objected desperately.

"Just…do as he says," she said with a shake of her head. She then looked away as the security officers were forced to restrain themselves.

Shinji nodded, "Excellent. Now then…" he raised the rifle in his hand and cocked it, "going live..."

Shinji swung about and Ritsuko was forced to dive for cover as he opened fire with a short burst of rounds that tore into the wall above her head.

"What the hell are you doing?" shouted Ritsuko, hands covering her ears as shards of plastic and silicon rained down on her.

In response, Shinji swung about and fired again, destroying some of the equipment attached to the bed.

Misato looked on impassively. He'd just shot out the wall phone along with the emergency call system used by the nursing staff.

He was giving himself a head start, and was being almost commendably thorough about it too.

"Time to go, ladies," said Shinji politely as he lowered the still smoking weapon to his side. He then indicated for his captives to move on ahead.

Ritsuko glowered as she pulled herself up to comply, Misato strolling calmly along in front.

The scientist frowned at her Captain as they emerged into the corridor. She really didn't like how calmly she was taking this, or how willing she seemed to be to cooperate.

Shinji glanced carefully left and right before emerging after them, "Forward," he said quietly, nudging Sakura on also, who had been as quiet as a mouse so far, which suited Shinji just fine.

Shinji then swung about and drove the butt of his rifle into the door panel until the casing came away. He didn't pause to consider what he was doing. Instead, he merely let his hands move on autopilot as he shifted a series of wires, jamming their tips into a series of points in the circuitry.

The dangling LCD display gave an angry buzz and there was a pop of short-circuiting electricity, followed swiftly by the sound of bolts sliding into a lock.

"High security ward complete with lockdown…" mused Shinji, "A bit over-prepared, aren't you?"

"_Under_-prepared more like…" muttered Ritsuko.

"How are we supposed to get those men out of there now?" asked Sakura.

Shinji sighed, "I fused a _door_, Sakura-chan. I didn't encase them in concrete."

"B-but nobody knows they're even in there."

"_You_ know they're in there, you dolt!_ Oh_, and I should probably take a second to mention: I do not intend to 'dispose of you once you've outlived your usefulness'."

"Oh…" she said, seeming pacified, only to then scowl right back at him, "Who are you calling a dolt?"

"Let's just go…" sighed Shinji, nudging them on, "Which way is it?"

"Follow me," said Misato, who just started walking and completely ignoring the weapon trained on her.

"Nice and slow…" said Shinji warningly, nudging Ritsuko and Sakura along too.

"You have the air of someone who's done this before," commented Misato, not looking back and seeming for all the world like she was still in perfect control of the situation.

Shinji hated it when his hostages got like that.

He inclined his head, "Well I have, once…"

"And how did that go?"

Shinji cocked his head, "Well, you know how first times are…"

"I do, but why don't you tell me anyway," said Misato a moment later as Shinji halted them to lean forward and check round a corner.

He motioned them onward again, "Let's just say there was a…complication during that incident."

"Define complication."

Shinji drummed his fingers timidly off the side of his weapon, "There may have been a _slight…_shoot-out, but besides that I feel it all went very well."

Misato glanced at him, "You took prisoners and then got into a fire-fight?"

"It wasn't so much a fire-fight as much as it was two hundred heavily armed security officers backing me into a corner and then shooting at me…a _lot_."

"So you were captured?" asked Misato.

"Nope."

"You gave up?"

"Wrong again. I won outright."

Misato glanced back, seeming genuinely curious, "_How_?"

Shinji shrugged, "I just did what I always do: lose right up until the last second and then win." He smirked briefly, "Kaji once told me that luck was my talent, that it was part of my destiny…I'd slap him for that if I ever saw him again."

"So how did you end up here? What exactly happened?" asked Misato as she continued leading them.

"Why are you even entertaining a conversation?" demanded Ritsuko.

"Why not?" asked Misato, "I was planning on taking him to see her regardless. I see no harm in gathering information if he wants to give it."

"What is it with my hostages talking like I don't exist?" muttered Shinji to himself.

"Well?" prompted Misato.

Shinji sighed, "You might say that I violated my own modus operandi."

"Meaning what?"

"I won right up until the last second…then lost. I've fought Angels, come face to face with Adam and Lilith themselves, only for my ultimate defeat to come at the hands of a giant _squid_. Typical."

"Sounds interesting." commented Misato.

"That's one way of putting it…"

Shinji's eyes had marked several surveillance cameras so far. Depending on how many eyes their security had to spare for each camera, he wondered how long it would take before the alarm was sounded. He may have been keeping his weapon lowered and using his hostages as visible barriers when possible, but Shinji knew that wouldn't work forever.

"Where are we by the way? Geographically speaking that is," asked Shinji, "I know we're airborne. Even with technology as primitive as this I know an inertial dampener when I feel it."

"That's none of your concern," replied Misato.

"Fair enough…"

They passed another window and Shinji skidded to an abrupt halt.

"What now?" asked Ritsuko with a tired sigh.

Shinji peered down below the clouds, "Misato-san, I think you have a problem."

Misato quickly approached and looked out, "What is it?" she asked, looking carefully around.

"Your ocean's the wrong colour."

Misato turned away again, resisting the urge to roll her eyes, "We noticed…"

Shinji looked between it and her, "But…it…it's _red._"

"Correct."

"It's supposed to be blue!"

Her response was somewhat quieter, "I know…"

"Why is it _red?_" he asked incredulously.

"Second Impact," she replied testily, "Or didn't that happen wherever it was you came from?"

"Well yeah, but the oceans still stayed blue…except for that brief period when they were orange, but the less said about that the better." He glanced down again, "What the hell did Adam _do_? Slip and cut his throat on a glacier?"

Misato took a breath, "When Second Impact occurred, the four Adams-"

"-_Four_?" interjected Shinji incredulously, "Why in the hell were there _four_ of him? No wonder the bastard bled so much if you chopped him into four different…_no_…unless…"

Misato glanced at him again, "Unless what?"

Shinji's eyes went distant as he mulled on knowledge that he really shouldn't have, "The contact experiment: that fatal deep dive Doctor Katsuragi oversaw; It went even worse this time around, didn't it?"

"I wouldn't know," commented Misato.

Shinji went on musing, "If the First Angel got to the point where he started _dividing_ before he got reduced to an embryonic state…Yeah, that'd do the trick. The consequences would be even more devastating. In my world only the Antarctic was rendered lifeless and red like this, but on _that _scale…" Shinji turned back to Misato, realising the scope of the truth, "Your oceans got sterilized... Every living seaborne creature…"

"Dead…" confirmed Misato, "How were you able to guess all this? Our Shinji was never given access to that level of classified information."

"Forty-forty hindsight," muttered Shinji in response, only half-paying attention, which wasn't wise considering he was supposed to be holding them captive. "How many Angels are left?" he asked.

Misato said nothing.

Rage flashed over Shinji's expression and he stabbed the gun into the side of Ritsuko's temple, "How many?!" he demanded.

Misato remained calm, "_None._ The last Angel was only recently destroyed in its entirety."

Misato expected this to be met with at least some form of relief, but if anything a look of actual worry seemed to cross Shinji's features.

"Need to get out of here…" he mumbled, expression distant, "Okay, break's over. Keep moving." he said, his nerve renewed once more as he pushed them ahead.

Misato refused to move however. She just peered down at him, defiant in the face of any threat, "What do you know?"

"It's not important..."

"_Liar!_"

Shinji took a breath to calm down, "Quid pro quo: Take me to Tevos and I'll tell you more of what I know: of how the pattern will turn out, of how it _always _turns out. I don't see why we can't eventually come to some sort of truce."

"That may be the most intelligent thing you've said since you woke up."

Shinji frowned in thought for a moment. After that period of hesitation he unshouldered the two rifles and set them down atop a nearby waste bin. He then clipped the safety on his pistol and stowed it away again inside his clothes, "Alright. There's an olive branch. I'll keep the pistol as insurance." He then looked carefully at Misato and rested his arms behind his head, "You three could probably take me if you all attacked at once and really went for it... Your move again, Misato-san."

While Shinji was lying through his teeth about feeling threatened by two women bordering on middle age and one girl barely out of childhood, he felt that it was the gesture that mattered. He did however keep a wary eye on Misato. He'd once seen a twenty-nine year old version of her take out a group of heavily armed JSSDF shock troops without breaking so much as a sweat. While he knew he still had the edge on her in terms of brute strength, he'd be beyond stupid to underestimate any version of Misato Katsuragi under any circumstances.

Misato just continued walking, "I can be reasonable."

"You just rarely choose to," said Shinji, "I know the core you very well."

Misato nodded thoughtfully, "Okay. It's a bit of a walk to the quarantine ward. So tell me: how did you actually get here? What's your story?"

Shinji chuckled, "My story is long, very long. The short version: I'm from an alternate reality; I was sent back here from a time period several hundred years ahead of your own. The last thing I knew before waking up here was being in a battle with a creature that wanted to capture the technology of the EVA series-"

"-for what purpose?" cut in Misato.

Shinji shrugged, "Become God, conquer the galaxy, the usual. It used the entrance to the Room of Gauf to rip open a void in the fabric of reality and force me out here. It called it 'casting me down'. It seemed to be trying to send me into my own personal hell. How successful it was remains to be seen."

Misato ignored the jibe about her world, instead asking, "What of the creature?"

"Dead. I felt its body dissolve around me through Unit-01. It was cornered, outnumbered and outgunned. The best outcome it could hope for was this. Rather petty really…"

"So you're a future version of our Shinji Ikari?" asked Ritsuko.

"No, not a future version, an _alternative_ version. I sort of travelled…diagonally through time, for lack of a better expression."

"That's not possible," objected Ritsuko.

"'Not possible?'" echoed Shinji, seeming briefly amused, "You know, my Ritsuko used to say that a lot too, even when the evidence was right before her eyes."

"The evidence _is_ before my eyes." said the vice-captain, "You say you were piloting Unit-01? Well I repeat that that's simply not possible."

"Oh?" asked Shinji, "Well I'm very curious about how you worked that out."

"It's simple," said Ritsuko, "You've _aged_. There are also no markers indicating the presence of the curse of the EVA in your DNA."

Shinji's response was a loud, derisive laugh that had Ritsuko instantly scowling with indignation again. He sighed once his laughter had calmed to wipe a tear from his eye, "_Oh_…The _curse_…of the EVA. _Really_?" he echoed, chuckling again, "You know, I'm starting to see why you don't go by 'Doctor' anymore."

Ritsuko rounded on him, "Quiet! Exposure to LCL and piloting of an EVA has been proven to cause genetic abnormalities, most notable of these being the absolute destruction of the aging process. None of these were present in the samples we took from you."

"So you're now an expert on what genetic modification technology will be capable of centuries down the line?"

Ritsuko had no response to that. Though to be fair, what Shinji implied was a bare faced lie: there were no traces of him piloting an EVA because he was simply concealing them, but he really didn't want to touch on those subjects yet.

"Then how were you even in the future in the first place?" asked Misato, "You talk like you've been through all this before. When were you actually born?"

"I was born on June sixth, two thousand and one to Yui and Gendo Ikari."

"So now you're saying that you're hundreds of years old?" asked Sakura doubtfully.

"No, physically I'm around eighteen or so."

"_Physically?_" asked Misato.

"That's the word I used," replied Shinji, keeping his eyes ahead.

"Would you care to elaborate?" asked the Captain, repeatedly looking back at them as they walked.

A smile twitched at the edge of Shinji's mouth, "Quid pro quo, Misato-san…"

Misato gave an irritable grunt and led them onto a transit car.

"How big is this…_ship_, is it?" asked Shinji, looking around them.

"The AAA Wunder is WILLE's base of operations," replied Misato as she punched in a command and set the car moving, "And it is of some considerable size, yes."

"AAA Wunder?"

"Autonomous Assault Ark," clarified Sakura.

Shinji let out weary sigh, "An _ark_? And to think I'd forgotten about all the biblical references…" He then went silent as a thought occurred to him, "You said fourteen years…"

Misato nodded.

"Do you mind if I ask: Is…is my father really still alive?"

There was a brief exchange of glances between Ritsuko and Misato, seeming genuinely startled by the query. Misato folded her arms and looked ahead again, "He still lives, yes," she then arched her head about to carefully observe his reaction.

Shinji raised his eyebrows, "So he still had fourteen years left in him. I'm sure the man who was my father would've been amused by that. I take it therefore that there's also another me running around somewhere too?"

No response came, which meant to Shinji that either his other self was dead, or they really didn't want to talk about him for some reason.

"Interesting…"

Misato narrowed her eyes at him, "We didn't say anything."

"Precisely," said Shinji, and the car jolted to a halt.

Misato glared at him with irritation. She had to wonder what could've happened to any version of Shinji Ikari that would bump his perceptiveness up to such terrifying levels.

Misato dwelled on that as she led them into what looked to be another medical wing. She waved several security officers aside that blocked their path, and all three of them were startled that Misato had done nothing to give away the fact Shinji was still armed. It took the consort an instant to realise what she was doing:

She was choosing to trust him.

Foolish, thought Shinji. Did she really think he would continue to try and be cooperative _just_ so he wouldn't betray that faith?

Shinji stopped walking a second later.

'_Shit_…' he cursed mentally, and then just carried on walking, shaking his head as he went.

Misato suddenly stopped, wanting to ask one more thing before taking him inside, "You called her Councillor Tevos…"

"What of it?" he asked, almost bumping into her back.

"What does that mean, 'Councillor'? Is she a person of some importance?"

Shinji couldn't help it. He actually _laughed_. He laughed hard. The reaction caused Misato to suddenly feel very uncomfortable. He wiped a tear from his eye, "Yeah, you might say that…"

"I see…" said Misato, "I don't suppose you might know anything about her race's physiology also?"

Shinji only then noticed the expressions on the two officers' faces. And only _then_ did it occur to him how odd it was for Misato to be so willing to lead him to his alien companion.

A horrible context began to form in Shinji's mind and he could almost physically feel his levity drain from him, "Why are you even asking me that?" he breathed.

Misato averting her eyes from him in response was enough for Shinji's heart to skip a beat. He felt himself pale, "What…what did you do?" he asked, his tone wavering, and Misato saw genuine fear in his eyes for the first time since they'd met.

Only _now_ was he afraid.

It took actual willpower for her to turn away, "Please. Just come with me, Shinji-kun."

Shinji found himself following after her as if in a daze, terrified as to what he might find up ahead.

He was only dimly aware of Ritsuko marching swiftly up to Misato's side and whispering some kind of sharp warning into her ear, her eyes locked on him.

Shinji's worry kicked up a notch as they turned a corner. Misato had stopped by a large, long window looking over a brightly lit room. There was a hermetically sealed door by it.

Shinji forced himself to look around and catalog his surroundings. He realized that they were now in some kind of quarantine wing. He noticed that the corridor had gaps in the floor, walls and ceiling at regular intervals, obviously so it could be sealed off as much as needed should there be a breach of containment. His subconscious logged that away for future reference.

Finally, he turned his attention to the window Misato was standing in front of. She was waiting for him.

Shinji went to her side and looked out into the quarantine ward. The walls and floor were tiled in gleaming white and there were several figures in isolation suits. Coiled wires lead from their backs linking them to an outside air source.

The one obscuring the bed moved aside and Shinji's hand went to the glass the instant he spied the figure on the bed. Misato watched him carefully.

He said nothing. Instead, he just gritted his teeth and went straight for the entryway.

"You can't just go in there!" snapped Ritsuko, grabbing his hand to restrain him, "That's a sealed environment! You don't know what kind of diseases she might have that-"

Ritsuko would've continued, but she was silenced by foot meeting gut, as Shinji quite literally booted her to the floor with a lightning-fast sidekick that reduced her to a winded heap. It didn't distract him from his task.

In Shinji's defence, even Misato had to admit that it was a very tactless thing for her to have said.

Shinji's hands were gripping hold of the wheel that kept the pressurised environment closed. His teeth were bared, eyes wild as he pulled it anticlockwise with every ounce of strength he had.

Misato could only watch in silent shock. She had never seen him with this level of intensity before.

He had accused _her_ of changing? Just what or who in the hell had he met in that future of his to turn him into _this?_

Shinji let out a low growl and pulled again. There was a loud hiss of escaping air, but Shinji didn't stop to rest. He spun the wheel as fast as he could and tore the door open.

A klaxon sounded out around them as Shinji strode inside, the medical staff looking up in shock.

Shinji glared at the alarm speaker, pulled Misato's pistol free, and then silenced it with a single shot.

The lead doctor, an elderly man with thin grey hair and wire-frame glasses, stood frozen in silence as Shinji's eyes swept the room.

Shinji marched up to the physician and snatched the clipboard he still held in one hand before shoving him aside, clearing his path to the patient.

"C-captain, w-why?" stammered the old doctor, and Misato just raised a hand to calm the medical staff before returning her attention to Shinji as he slowly approached the bed.

Shinji kept the trigger guard of Misato's pistol hooked loosely over his index finger as he stepped up to the prone asari's side. And if Misato ever had any doubts as to whether Shinji and the alien were ally or enemy, friend or casual acquaintance, then they were put firmly to rest when she saw the look in his eyes as looked down at her.

Confidence had become crestfallen. Superiority was now sadness.

Friend was clearly the answer, and obviously a good one. And in that instant he almost looked to Misato like that frightened little child she'd known all those years ago, but then that instant was passed, and he appeared to shove those emotions aside with a brief clenching shut of his eyes.

Shinji turned his attention quickly to the clipboard in his hand and began flicking through pages of notes and observations, his mouth opening and closing in quiet murmurs.

"I-if you're here to visit," said the doctor, reaching slowly forward to take his clipboard back, "A-any advice or information you might have about her-" he was cut off however as Shinji flicked the butt of the gun he was holding by the barrel out, cracking him on the back of the knuckles and knocking his hand away again.

"BP is low…" read Shinji, his voice drifting in and out as he read sequentially back from latest to earliest, "…blood oxygen levels…_well_ below safe for an asari…neurotransmitter levels…the _hell_?" he finally turned his attention to the doctor and just glared at him, as if demanding an explanation.

"I…that is…" stammered the doctor, and then timidly reached forward and flipped the pages of notes back to the start. He then reached around and pointed to a spot near the top.

Shinji turned away again and continued reading with a frown, his voice again just coming in and out with short murmurs, "Admission twelve hundred fifty…authorised use of…signed off by vice-captain…fifteen CC…concentrated…"

Shinji's voice died. His expression became absolutely blank and unreadable. He just stood there in absolute silence for the longest time, eyes locked on one single word.

The room had become deathly silent, broken only by the occasional beeps of the monitoring equipment.

Ritsuko dared to take a step closer, her hand cradling her abdomen where she'd no doubt soon be sporting a very nasty bruise, "We didn't know what would happen when she awoke, so we administered a drug called-"

"-Acepromazine…" cut in Shinji, his voice both disturbingly calm and quiet.

"Y-yes, it's a kind of sedative. Unfortunately we're having some trouble bringing her around, so any information you have about her species, even anecdotal could be-"

"-You _injected_…" cut in Shinji, "the Asari Councillor with _ACP_?"

Ritsuko's eyes widened at his use of the term and she only realised now that Shinji wasn't reading those notes in any random order or with a single flicker of bewilderment.

He knew exactly what he was doing.

But still Shinji didn't raise his voice. All he did do was keep pausing to regain control of whatever emotions were simmering up inside of him, "You injected an asari matriarch with an animal tranquiliser used for controlling wild _dogs?_" That was a brief loss of composure on his part: a note of absolute, uninhibited disgust flashing to the surface.

He paused before speaking again, "Is that what you did?"

Slowly, Ritsuko began to back away.

However, no outburst came. Instead, there was only a gentle tap as Shinji set the clipboard calmly down against the rails surrounding the bed. He then reached down and let his hand slip gently into that of the still asari and slowly turned her arm over, exposing the lighter blue skin underneath.

While Shinji had been mostly calm so far, Misato caught a brief, shuddering intake of breath as he beheld where the IV entered her body.

The small of Tevos' arm was horribly bruised, marked by numerous dark blue welts indicating where multiple clumsy attempts at finding a vein had sliced some open due to the foolish angle of insertion. Her normally flawless skin was dotted by nearly a dozen different puncture wounds.

Misato searched for something to say, but there were no words she could find.

"You…" began Shinji, his voice thick for a second before pausing again to recompose himself. All the while he didn't take his eyes from the still asari, his hand remaining gently atop her arm, "Umm, you…you asked me before who this was. You _asked me_…if she was someone important. Would you like me to answer you now?"

Misato didn't speak. She just waited for him to continue.

"Her name is Tevos, and she is an asari matriarch. And if you're wondering what that means, it means she's lived for something in the region of a thousand Solar years."

Ritsuko could almost feel the glare Misato shot her as Shinji continued.

"She is one of four Council members whose decisions directly affect the lives of literally trillions daily, and of those four she is known as the mediator; the one who keeps balance amongst them all.

"She was instrumental in brokering the peace treaty between the Turian Hierarchy and the Earth Systems Alliance, putting an end to the First Contact War, most likely saving billions of lives as a result.

"She is arguably the most respected peacekeeper and diplomat in the galaxy, and has quite possibly the most fantastic mind out of any individual I've ever met in my very long existence."

All were stunned to silence as Shinji's fingers began coiling around the bed rail, tightening until his skin turned white. Second by second was his composure was starting to slip, "She was negotiating peace agreements and stopping wars across a galaxy when people on our world were still burning people alive for _witchcraft_!" He took another shuddering breath, "And you had the _gall_ to stick her with a needle and tranquilise her like she was some rabid animal?"

Misato saw that Shinji once more had that gun gripped in one hand. His teeth were bared, eyes wide and filled with blazing anger and indignation. She took a hesitant step closer, "Shinji-kun, we only-"

"-_Get out…_"

She blinked, "Wh-what?"

"Get…_out_…" he repeated.

The doctor scowled and stepped forward to object.

This was unwise.

"If you think I'm just going to abandon my patient and-"the old man was cut off however as Shinji whipped the gun around fired off a single round in his direction.

The bullet tore through his isolation suit and skimmed his ear before ricocheting off a wall. Growling, Shinji then turned about and fired at the nurses, they ducked out the way and screamed. Misato dropped down low. Shinji was so lost in emotion that she wasn't sure how much of what he was doing was just warning shots. Then the gun steadied, and he aimed it right at Ritsuko.

She froze, "_Out_." He repeated just one last time. The doctor and nurses were already retreating, weaving around the vice-captain and out of the door to safety. Misato knew that the next shot wouldn't be used to injure or warn.

Ritsuko backed away, her eyes locked on Shinji's trigger finger. Misato circled slowly around into his field of vision, "Shinji-kun, please, I know you're upset but she _needs _medical attention! If you don't let my staff tend to their patient then-"

"-She is _not_ their patient!" he barked, cutting her off as he began advancing, "She is my patient now." And he shoved Misato violently away, knocking back the retreating Ritsuko in the process too.

Shinji dragged the door closed and shattered the glass covering the emergency lockdown control, which came in the form of a large, conveniently labelled big red button.

He paused before hitting the control to seal the door once more, fusing it from the inside and waiting as the bolts locked into place and the hermetic seals came back online.

Misato sidestepped into view at the observation window and hit the comm button, "And what do you expect us to do?"

Shinji laughed again, only this time it was completely without any kind of humour as his hand reached for a control, "I think you've done enough damage for now, _Captain_. This only happened because of your staggering inability to manage your own crew and any situation you're involved in, which I'm sure probably has _something _to do with why this war has gone on as long as it has.

"So here's what you need to do: For the sake of me, my friend, and quite possibly the entire human race. Misato Katsuragi, from now on…" and before he hit the control to turn the viewing window opaque and kill the link, Shinji's voice dropped low, his tone positively dripping with venom, "_…do nothing._"

And then he was gone. Shinji Ikari had rejected and turned his back on her once more…

-α-

Misato just stared at the blank wall as if someone had punched her in the gut. That was when the alarms started going off.

Ritsuko looked about as the red lights flashed and sirens wailed, "He's triggered the quarantine alert!" And all about them the corridors began sealing themselves off, steel armoured segments sliding slowly into place to prevent the spread of possible contagions.

The medical staff made to run for it, as did Ritsuko, who only now noticed that Misato was still standing there, "Misato, we have to go! We can cancel the lockdown from the bridge!" she grabbed her by the arm to pull her away.

Misato just nodded and then turned away from the window before breaking into a run as the entirety of the corridor sealed itself off behind her.

-α-

Shinji hadn't so much pushed the button as he had punched it clean into the wall. He was still glaring at the now blank window. The emotions he'd been suppressing to remain stable were tearing to the surface and there was nothing he could do to stop them.

He was encased in silence, with only the sound of the machinery and his breath to distract him now.

His rage boiled over as he turned about and booted a nearby specimen table aside, upending its contents. He then paced into the middle of the room and let out a long, drawn out cry of anger, sadness, despair and grief as his situation finally caught up with him all at once. The truth he'd been trying to ignore was finally in his face:

Lost.

He'd lost _everything _again, and now he was alone once more. With little other recourse, Shinji found himself sinking to his knees, fighting the urge to actually cry.

"_Stop it…_"

Shinji's eyes opened again, realising it was his own voice that had in fact come out, "Stop. This isn't me, not anymore." He whispered to himself, "What would Aria say if she saw you like this?"

Shinji was still as he fought to gather his nerve, "Got to get up…got to…face reality. I must...I mustn't…run away. I _mustn't_ run away."

Shinji didn't move for a moment. Slowly, his fist tightened at his side as he felt his resolve swell back up inside of him.

He stood fluidly back to his feet.

'Why in the hell am I moping?' He thought to himself with disgust as he turned towards the bed, his expression serious and firm once again, 'You're a consort and your client needs you. Be what she needs you to be.'

And she needed a doctor.

He narrowed his eyes at the clipboard on the bed for a second before walking over and picking it up. It was time to get to work…

"First things first…" said Shinji, who walked right for one of the supply closets and returned a moment later with some bandages and wipes.

He approached Tevos' arm and undid the surgical tape holding the IV in place. He then slowly withdrew the needle in her arm, applying pressure with his thumb over the wound once it was completely free, "Not even in the correct vein…" he grumbled, "It's lucky she hasn't died of malnutrition and dehydration yet." He then swabbed the area clean before bandaging up the entire section of her arm to cover up the injuries.

He smiled weakly at her, "If this were the Citadel you could sue for malpractice…"

He then wheeled the IV around to the other side of the bed and rolled up her sleeve, "Asari: far less symmetrical…vascular system," murmured Shinji as he dabbed her arm with alcohol and squeezed the sides of her lower arm just below the elbow with his thumb and index finger.

'Don't think…' he reminded himself, 'Just do. Use those hands of yours and just let what's in your head flow…'

"Purse the upper and lower carpal muscles to expose the vein…" he continued out loud as if instructing himself, aiming the needle down at an angle. He glanced up at Tevos' face and smiled again, "Quick scratch, _and_…" he then swiftly slid the needle into her skin and reapplied some tape to secure it, "You're done." He said, feeling rather proud of himself, even though all he'd succeeded in doing so far was correctly insert an IV.

Shinji stood back up to full height and then examined the IV bag. He narrowed his eyes at the text, "Should be fine, but still _needs…_" he trailed off and then opened up the walk-in drug storage closet. He was briefly shocked by how well stocked it was. Row after row of shelves containing countless vials and bottles of substances lined the walls, "Of course," said Shinji, "Needs to remain well stocked in case of an emergency; in case they can't let anyone in or out."

Stowing a few spare IV bags under his arm, Shinji's hand slid over the bottles, tracing their surface until he'd selected some specific vials of protein and mineral supplements.

Using a syringe, he drew a particular amount from each vial and then injected it into the current IV bag, "There we go, madam Councillor. That should be everything your system needs." He then did the same with the spares, since he still wasn't sure how long her situation might take to resolve.

"Lastly…" he muttered, reaching over the bed to the valves. He unscrewed the oxygen tap a bit more than it already was, "Couldn't even get your oxygen concentration right."

He also took a moment to quickly recalibrate the ECG, carefully adjusting it until it was set to more accurately detect the right kinds of neural activity. His heart sank as he looked at the readout.

The results were not promising. Tevos' brain activity was actually a good deal worse than the notes and her chart had indicated.

'There's less time than they thought,' realised Shinji worriedly.

Satisfied he'd done all that was necessary to keep his patient stable for the moment, Shinji decided to set about his task properly.

He looked back to the doctor's notes and then to the table on the other side of the room. On it was a series of bottles. The notes listed them as possible options for a course of stimulants that they could try if they couldn't come up with anything certain.

Hoping to find at least some kind of a head start, Shinji walked over and began reading off the labels, checking them against his knowledge of asari body chemistry to try and predict the outcome.

He glanced at the first one, "Heart attack…" he muttered, tossing it back down and then picked up the next, "Most likely a _stroke _with this mix. Very nice, doctor."

He went to the third, "No effect; waste of time." And then the fourth, "No effect, except maybe instant death; step in the wrong direction."

And then finally the last, "And…multi-system organ dysfunction!" he snapped, smashing it off the wall in frustration before pausing to massage his temples, "Stay calm…need to stay calm. Just… got to go from scratch is all."

His eyes then went to the sealed door. He guessed WILLE wasn't just going to let him occupy their quarantine ward with impunity, nor could he afford the interruptions; every second wasted risked further damage to Tevos' mind.

His attention was drawn to the console atop the desk by the wall. An idea began to form.

He needed to slow them down…

Shinji walked over to the console and sat down.

**MAGI ACHIRAL MEDICAL DATABASE**

**PLEASE ENTER SEARCH STRING:**

'They really should lock their workstations when not in use,' thought Shinji as he flexed his fingertips out.

He then smirked briefly, 'Achiral, is it? In what way are you a reflection, MAGI? Is it just a fancy name, or could it be that someone's trying to hide the fact that they're not so much a creator, but more an imitator?'

His smile widened, "Let's find out…"

**SEARCH GENERAL DATABASE.**

**STRING: "OPERATION" + "PRIBNOW BOX" + "IRUEL" + "MAGI"**

**Zero results found matching all parameters…**

**Would you like to retry using fewer terms?**

"So…" said Shinji, leaning back in his chair, "You never fought that Angel either, Ritsuko? That would also mean you were never forced to use all those back doors to hack into Caspar and reprogram the Angel either. Which _also means_ you never would've had a reason to change…" he trailed off into a mumble as he brought up a command entry console, "Let's just see how much of you is original, Achiral, and how much is just a copy…"

"You see, Councillor," said Shinji, deciding to direct his voice at _somebody_, _"_It was my mother who developed the Personality Transplant OS along with Naoko Akagi. That same system formed the basic fundamental method upon which a mind operated within a MAGI, and also how a pilot operates an EVA.

"You might say that, in a way, the MAGI and the EVAs are very similar in terms of fundamental operating principal. _Ergo_, if all Ritsuko did was copy over the core hierarchy of the Tokyo-3 MAGI to form the basis of this MAGI, and then code some flashy new interface on top of it, and she was never forced to dig around and discover all those back doors…" his smirk stretched slightly, "then she might not even know that they're _there…_"

Shinji's hands flicked over the keyboard, punching in row after row of old GEHIRN INT-C code. He just prayed they matched up with the ones from this dimension.

A moment later, the smirk on Shinji's face suddenly matched his father's in terms of dark amusement.

"Oh, Ritsuko…"

**SCREEN CRAWL: User Naoko$ online. Root access granted.**

"Haven't we been lazy?"

He was right: this hadn't been so much a next generation MAGI like EDEN had been. If anything, this was barely MAGI Version 1.1.

At best 1.11.

And so, once more, Shinji went to work, "Achiral, you and I are going so have some _fun_…"

-α-

Misato strode onto the bridge and up to her command level, "What's our status?"

Aoba turned about in his chair, "Captain Shikinami is still waiting to speak to you via radio. Her report is quite urgent."

"Is it life threatening?"

"N-no, not at the moment, ma'am. B-but I really think you-"

"-Then it can wait," dismissed Misato, "What's the status on the lockdown?"

Hyuuga spoke up as he worked, "Well I'm _trying_ to disable it so we can get our security forces moved in, but I'm having some trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" asked Ritsuko.

He shook his head with confusion, "It keeps saying that I don't have sufficient access to terminate the lockdown. It…_says_ I need top-level clearance."

Misato glanced at Ritsuko, who could only shrug, "It must be how it was initially coded."

Misato supressed a sigh and crossed over to a nearby console.

**Username: KatsuragiM126**

**Password: ****************

**Security code: **********

She looked up, "There..."

"Thank you, ma'am. I'm doing it…now?"

"What is it?" asked Misato.

Hyuuga was hesitant before responding, "…insufficient…clearance..."

Misato and Ritsuko exchanged a look, and so the vice-captain quickly moved to try hers. She looked up a second later, "Anything?"

Makoto just shook his head, "No, ma'am. In fact, it looks as if both of your clearance levels have been totally reduced in relation to accessing the quarantine lockdowns."

"What do you mean? Reduced _how_?" Demanded Misato as Ritsuko worked furiously at her station.

Hyuuga just cocked his head as he read off from his screen, "Well, ma'am, according to this, the lockdown system has you down as being demoted to _Petty Officer_ Katsuragi…third class."

"That's not even a rank," grumbled the Captain.

"It is now…" murmured Makoto, "Apparently you've also been reassigned. As far as this is concerned, you're now a junior officer in the department in charge of…_swabbing the decks?_" He adjusted his screen, "And apparently vice-captain Akagi is now an assistant in the typing pool, which we now apparently have. She's been demoted to…assistant pencil sharpener."

"Ritsuko!" hissed Misato, looking urgently to the doctor.

She shook her head, "I don't even know how this is possible!"

"Then who does it think is in command of this ship?" she demanded, looking back to Hyuuga.

He seemed to pause to swallow a gulp, "Ma'am, it appears he's created about a dozen additional levels of command hierarchy within the systems that control those sections of the ship and then gone and placed himself right at the top of it."

"_Who has?_" she snapped, even though she could probably guess the answer already.

Hyuuga opened his mouth, looked to his screen and then looked back at her again, "Do I really have to read it out?"

"Say it," ordered Misato coldly.

Hyuuga's shoulders seemed to sag and he breathed a sigh before speaking, "Supreme Fleet Rear Admiral Commander Brigadier General…Ikari."

Somewhere far below, Shinji was laughing.

"Can you lock him out?" asked Misato, walking up to Ritsuko's side.

"I don't even know how he's doing this!" She said, a note of desperation in her voice. She typed for a moment longer and her eyes then widened in fear, "He's using some kind of back door to gain access to the MAGI!"

"How can he even do that?"

"I don't know! It must've been a leftover from the original MAGI code that forms the basis of the system."

Misato paced, chewing a nail through her glove, "He had medical knowledge, technical skill, and now he's hacking into our MAGI. Assuming he came from a world just like ours, who could've taught him how to do all that at such a young age?"

"W-well I wouldn't even know how to begin-"

"-_Guess,_ if you have to. I want to know who we might really be dealing with here."

Ritsuko took a second to calm herself, "The only other person with that kind of technical skill, who might _also_ have knowledge of MAGI fundamentals would be my mother, Naoko Akagi. But she didn't have any skill as a medical doctor."

"Was there really no one else?"

She shook her head, "Besides Shinji's mother, Yui Ikari, no. She knew the MAGI, and was also an evolutionary biologist with multiple degrees. But like my mother she _also_ happens to be dead. _Well_, somewhat…"

"Somewhat?"

Ritsuko glanced at the crew uneasily and stepped closer, lowering her voice, "Well you know as well as I do how she became the control system for EVA Unit-01. So she's essentially dead for all intents and purposes."

"Ritsuko…" said Misato with forced patience, "Remind me again which EVA Shinji Ikari used to be the pilot of?"

"Yes, and I know what you're implying," said Ritsuko impatiently, "But he would've had to have had prolonged and direct contact with the control system for a _very_ long time, and I am talking immensely long. Our Shinji was only barely affected by the passing of fourteen years in such a state."

"Would it be possible though, for him to have been affected in some way?"

Ritsuko paused her typing again to think, "Hypothetically, in an extremely long term sense? Yes, I suppose so. There is the genetic link between them which would allow for compatibility, so I suppose whilst in quantum form Yui Ikari _could_ have overlaid certain aspects of herself directly into the cerebral part of Shinji's brain without directly affecting his personality, but there'd only be a billion to one chance that would succeed without leaving Shinji an utter vegetable or with horrible mental instabilities."

"Are those odds more or less than those of a second Shinji Ikari dropping out of the skies accompanied by a blue space alien?"

Ritsuko inclined her head, "Point taken."

"He also claims to have come from a time hundreds of years in the future. For all we know he really did spend a prolonged period trapped in the EVA, "said Misato, "So, assuming you're going up against Yui Ikari and not Shinji Ikari, can you beat him?"

Ritsuko hesitated before replying, "Possibly..."

"_Possibly_?"

"She wasn't anywhere near my mother's level in terms of skill but…" Ritsuko's voice almost broke for a second, as if loathing yet admitting, "But she was at least at mine."

"Do we still have access to our databases?"

Ritsuko nodded, "It seems to just be certain command functions that we're locked out of."

Misato nodded and turned to face the rest of the bridge staff again, "Can you bring up the personnel file of Yui Ikari? It should be in the SEELE archives."

"Doing it now, ma'am," replied Aoba.

"Good, send it over."

Aoba began to comply, but then sank down in his chair, "I actually don't think there's much of a point now, ma'am."

Misato scowled, "Why not?"

Aoba nodded at his screen, "He got to it first…" he flicked down the page and read off what remained of the information, "Name: Yui Ikari. Date of Birth: Classified. Alias: Mom. Occupation: Mom. Skills: _Mom stuff (_i.e_._ hugs and tucking in at night)."

Misato took off her glasses to wipe the bridge of her nose, "That's something, I suppose…"

"Misato?"

"Why would he corrupt her file unless we were right?"

Ritsuko nodded, "At least we might know what we're dealing with now."

"So what do we still have access to?"

"He can't manipulate any critical systems from his current location. Propulsion, navigation, weapons, main power as well as environmental control for the majority of the ship: they're all still under our control. It's only access to systems in the quarantine and isolation sections that he's totally locked us out of.

"I've already erected a Type-666 firewall to prevent manipulation of any further systems. There is however only one problem…" she said and stood back, nodding at her display.

"And what's that?" asked Misato as she leaned in.

"He's erected one too to protect his systems."

On the screen was a diagram displaying the MAGI layout. It was currently divided into two sections, each overlaid with fiery red letters indicating a pair of opposing Type-666 blocks.

Misato noticed the grim smile on Ritsuko's face, "What is it?"

"I actually can't help but be grudgingly impressed…"

"Besides that section, does he have control of anything else?"

She nodded, "Just a few things. He seems to have made a point to take total control of all internal communications as well as our ECM systems."

"So he's got us under a communications blackout. Can you break back into the MAGI and retake control?"

Ritsuko nodded in thought, "It might take some time, but yes, just so long as he's not blocking me at every turn."

"What else can you tell me?"

"Just what I said: he has absolute control of all systems inside the quarantine and isolation sections. He's already sealed off every section he can and then vented the atmosphere inside. If anyone goes in, the chances are they'll be sealed in by one of the backup doors and end up getting asphyxiated.

"Those sections are designed to act completely independently in case of an emergency. Even if the ship crashes, those areas have been designed to contain whatever is inside them, indefinitely if necessary. They all have their own backup power supplies and independent life support systems. In an absolute worst case scenario they're effectively tombs for whatever ends up trapped inside. The containment sections are the same with the added protection of Angel sealing countermeasures."

"Meaning if we wanted to successfully blast our way in…"

Ritsuko finished the sentiment for her with an agreeing nod, "We would probably destroy most of the Wunder in the process. Those sections are designed to be resistant to anything short of a direct assault by an EVA. And while they're also designed to be blasted out and essentially jettisoned if necessary, Shinji's already isolated all the release systems and sealed off the areas containing the manual controls."

"I have no intention of killing him unless he forces me to. Has he done anything other than box himself in and take defensive action?"

Ritsuko pondered for a moment, "Besides taking control of internal communications and those sections, no. We essentially still have full control of the both the Wunder and her functions," And she considered raising an objection to Misato's soft touch attitude, but then appeared to have an idea so went quickly back to her terminal.

"What is it?" asked Misato.

"I think…he might have made a mistake…"

"In what way?"

"He disrupted communications as well as any write access to the security systems in his area, but he left us with basic read access to all systems and databases, meaning that although we can't make any adjustments, we still technically have some access to internal surveillance."

"You're saying that we can at least see what he's doing."

Ritsuko nodded, "I think so. Just give me a minute…"

"If that's the case just post security at the entrance to those areas and have someone monitor the cameras at all times to keep watch on his movements. Retaking those sections of the ship is a secondary priority. Work on it when you can, but I want all focus to be on repairing our battle damage and getting the main engine up to full power." She looked at the screen as an image of the quarantine ward flicked up. She watched Shinji in silence for a moment as he moved about the still form of the Councillor, "If he wants to take responsibility for her and reject our help then that's his decision. So long as he's busy with that then he's no threat. Our priorities remain with defeating NERV and preparing for the next encounter. We don't have time to be fighting two battles."

"Understood, Captain," replied Ritsuko, "I'll also have work crews begin physically severing every computer linkup into those sections just to be on the safe side. It may take time to repair afterward but I think it's worth it."

Misato thought on it for a second, "Do it."

Ritsuko nodded and went about her task.

-α-

Shinji regarded the display and the Type-666 error he'd ran right into. He really couldn't help a smile from appearing on his face, "Not bad, Ritsuko…not bad at all." He had been preparing his firewall since he'd started; Ritsuko on the other hand threw hers up in seconds, almost as if she'd had one waiting in reserve.

He pushed off from the console, "But that should slow them down for a bit." And that was all it was: a distraction. Shinji needed time. If he continued to split his attention between WILLE and the Councillor then there was a very real chance he might not succeed. Every hour wasted was another batch of dead brain cells.

Besides, he could only hold off Ritsuko for so long. He knew that if she really focused; if she realised her true potential and came out of her shell long enough to go at him full-on, she would absolutely mop the floor with him.

As much as he'd insulted her earlier, Shinji knew that at the core, Ritsuko Akagi was very much a natural, whereas his knowledge of MAGI theory was no more an original article than the MAGI that operated the Wunder was.

While he may have developed his knowledge somewhat toward the areas of mechanical engineering and design (he had EDEN for his IT issues, after all) the truth was that Shinji's expertise remained very much in the field of people.

Deciding that enough time had been wasted, Shinji grabbed a nearby blood sampling kit and approached the asari, "Back to work…"

-Ω-

Meanwhile, _elsewhere…_

Sparatus was not in the best of moods. Having been dragged to the Terminus systems was bad enough, but being forced to permit the uplift and movement of the Relay Monument on top of that was just too much.

Aria T'Loak had been very clear with her proposal: Help us save the Asari Councillor from the situation that you and your colleagues dropped her in, and the rest of the Asari Republics needn't find out. Because if they did, they might just find their perceptions of the current ruling council races permanently…_coloured_. And Aria had put an almost chilling amount of emphasis on the word 'current'.

Nobody held a grudge like an asari.

He stood on the bridge of the Ascension, watching as the Reaper known as Harbinger hovered over the still open vortex. The underside of the beast was locked onto the uprooted shape of the Ilos Conduit, which was in turn secured into position by a hastily constructed lattice of metal and guidance thrusters.

"Highly irregular, this is just…too irregular." He grumbled, shaking his head.

Lidanya didn't dignify him with a response. Her duty, and indeed the primary duty of the Ascension as a whole was to protect the council, in _particular_ their own councillor, and the council had ordered them to depart after leaving Tevos on Omega. So while she would of course obey the Council without question, that didn't mean both she and the crew of the flagship couldn't be frosty about it.

Sparatus let out a defeated breath. Aria may have _said_ that the secret would be kept, but allowing her to organise the actual acquisition of the monument had been a big mistake.

When a large group of armed Krogan pirates lead by the Patriarch had suddenly emerged onto the Presidium one morning, apparently with full authority to be there, only to then go and effectively tear the Relay Monument out of its moorings and then haul it off, more than a few eyebrows had been raised.

It wouldn't have been so bad had the Patriarch not stopped to tell the ANN news reporter on site as he passed 'not to worry,' and that they were just 'taking it away for cleaning' before marching off, laughing hysterically along with his band of mercs.

The old turian just prayed he could maintain some semblance of order once this all kicked off.

-Ω-

"Will this even work?" asked Joker as he stood on the Normandy bridge, "I mean…letting a couple of AI's and a _Reaper_ reprogram a pair of Mass Relays? Even if they are just miniature prototypes, it still seems kinda crazy if you ask me."

Liara T'Soni, being one of the galaxy's foremost experts on Prothean technology had agreed to assist the Ascension's officers with moving the Ilos entrance to the Conduit to its current location.

She kept her eyes affixed to the structure as she nodded, "I know, Joker but EDEN knows the fundamentals of how this rift operates and…" she paused before speaking again, "…_Shepard_ knows the principals of how the Relay network functions. If there is anyone who can succeed in this task, it is them."

"You okay, Liara?" asked Joker.

She nodded, "I am fine. What about you, Joker? You were closer to EDI than anyone. Does this situation not bother you?"

"Me? No, I'm absolutely _fine_ that the ghost of my dead commander has possessed both my ship and girlfriend. Why would I be bothered?"

"Well, I am… glad to hear it."

Joker's eyes flicked to her, "Sarcasm, Liara…"

"_Oh. _Oh yes, of course…"

Joker let out a relenting breath, "If that thing out there really _is_ what's left of our Shepard then I'll…I'll trust EDI will be safe."

He looked to Liara again, "How's the pirate doing?"

Liara glanced out of the port window to where the Thunder Child hung in space alongside them. The modified Relay Monument was locked to her underbelly and ready to be released, "Becoming unstable from what I hear. Three days without sleep will do that. Though her leadership is commendable, to think she organised this so swiftly once EDEN had suggested the idea."

"The recoding has been completed," came Shepard/EDI's voice as she walked into the cockpit, "If EDEN's calibrations are correct, we should soon be ready to activate the Conduit."

Liara looked to the Normand's twin, "Is the Bridgehead ready?"

Shepard nodded, "EDEN is finishing the adaptations to the firmware now. Assuming it survives the transit then the VI in the navigational system should immediately move it into place as soon as it comes online. We'll know if we've been successful as we should instantly gain tightbeam contact via the link if the Bridgehead succeeds in getting into position and activating."

"You think the council's going to be pissed when they find out they won't actually be getting their monument back?"

"To be honest Joker, I think they will just be glad to have their councillor back."

"You mean they'll be glad that their decision might not be coming back to bite them in the ass."

"That too…"

-Ω-

"What's the status of our forces?" asked Aria as she paced the width of the Thunder Child's meeting room.

Tisala looked up from her console, setting a datapad aside "We have fifteen ships back to operating capacity. They'll be combat ready in under forty-eight hours."

"I said under four days, Tisala."

Tisala just nodded, "I know, Aria," she said, before daring to add, "I _am_ worried about him too."

Aria's eyes flicked to her and back, "At what point did I say I was worried?"

Tisala cocked her head as she turned back to her console, "You didn't."

"Then get back to work." Aria then stood there in silence for a moment, "I want the Conduit opened in two hours."

Tisala looked back at her, "You can't be serious! We don't even know what's waiting on the other side of that thing. We could be walking right-"

"-I am very serious." Cut in Aria, "I want to see what's happening on the other side. We'll open the Conduit and send a probe in to monitor the situation. Depending on what we see, we'll either move in early with the forces we have or wait."

"And if Shinji's in danger, and sending the Bridgehead through now only provokes his enemy?"

"Then I'll make sure they have something else to shoot at first," said Aria, her tone low and deceptively calm.

Tisala turned to face her fully, "And what if they just destroy it? The shields we installed on the Bridgehead are only designed to prevent it being damaged by any accidental impact that it may suffer upon rematerialization and before the propulsion has a chance to kick in. If it comes under prolonged fire-"

"-Do as I say!" she snapped, losing her cool for just a brief instant.

Tisala braced herself before speaking, "Of course, but don't you think you should at least get some rest before-"

Aria cut her off again by stepping right up into her personal space and glaring down at her, "Are you questioning me?"

Tisala stood bolt upright and met Aria's glare head on, "I am," she shot back defiantly, and Aria opened her mouth to speak, "-shut up, Aria," she cut in, shocking the pirate into dead silence momentarily with nothing but sheer audacity, "The truth is, we need you for this. _Shinji_ needs you! But if you're like this: barely on your feet, unable to think, pumped full of stimulants and completely on edge, then what use will you be to him, or anybody?"

Aria seethed for a moment, "Do not _ever_-" but she was cut off as Tisala's hand lashed out and stabbed something into her arm. Aria's eyes widened as she spied the injection device in the former spectre's hand. Aria's hand moved for her sidearm, only for her to stagger back, "You sneaky…little…" she trailed off however and collapsed forward, Tisala barely catching her.

She staggered, "Goddess, were you always this _heavy_?" she glanced at the blue hologram in the corner, "EDEN!" she called, "Can you get…_you_ in here, please?"

The platform entered a moment later, looking between them, "Did you just…"

"Would you be so kind as to take Aria up to the Captain's quarters? I pumped her full of enough sedative to put her out for a good six to eight hours."

EDEN looked at Aria and then back at Tisala, "She is going to be very angry with you when she wakes up."

Tisala inclined her head acceptingly, "She may very well shoot me on the spot, but if that's what it takes to get her head back in this, so be it. She should be fully charged again by the time she wakes up." She then exhaled a relenting breath, "I think she'll still want to depart as soon as she wakes though. We have that long to complete as many of the repairs to the other ships as possible. I'll have to make sure the crew is ready by then. I want you to pass the operation details out in the meanwhile." She paused to set Aria down in one of the chairs.

"We'll be the first to go in and to scout the situation in stealth mode once the link is confirmed as stable. We also have to consider that we might be going into immediate ship-to-ship or pitched combat depending on what we find once we're through."

EDEN nodded, "Moran and the Patriarch have already come aboard with a detachment of their own people to supplement our numbers if needed. The Thunder Child's battle damage has been fully repaired and our torpedo load out is replenished. The vessel at least is ready. There is one other matter however."

"And what's that?"

"Kasumi told me that Justicar Samara has requested permission to come aboard to render field assistance. She claims to have, and I quote 'a debt to repay.' Kasumi mentioned a promise of some sort that she apparently feels she didn't live up to."

Tisala thought on it for a second and then nodded, "She could be invaluable if it comes to a direct ground assault. But if you can, try and make sure you avoid sending her into combat with anyone too unscrupulous or psychotic. The last thing we need is a justicar turning on our own forces out of obligation to the code."

EDEN nodded and then proceeded to take no small amount of pleasure in slinging Aria unceremoniously over one shoulder. She paused briefly to look over at the real-time image of the Conduit as it began to flicker to life, the vortex behind illuminating the core as it slowly came online, "Eight hours…"

-α-

Misato looked out over the dawn. She could see the still-open Room of Gauf in the distance. Ritsuko hadn't been able to provide an explanation as to why it hadn't closed entirely, but since it hadn't changed or widened since appearing she had been assured it was safe, at least for now.

A transport had been sent to pick up Asuka, Shinji and the Ayanami clone, so that at least was under control also. But then there was the main issue that was now weighing on her mind: The new Shinji's Unit-01 had appeared, and it seemed to now be in Gendo Ikari's hands, and there was no way to question the adult Third Child properly given the current circumstances.

The captain drifted inside, sipping her morning coffee and entering one of the conference rooms. Sakura was inside munching on a ration pack. She had taken it upon herself to assume the role of watcher and had been keeping an eye on the other Shinji for the past day.

"How is he doing?" she asked.

Sakura stood up, "Captain…"

"As you were," she mumbled on reflex, eyes locked on the displays that covered one wall.

Sakura turned back and sat down on the pillow she'd brought from her quarters to get comfortable, "I've been taking turns keeping watch with Mari. So far he hasn't done anything new. He started off by resetting her IV, took some blood and since then he's been running tests and checking different drugs and their composition using our medical database."

"Has he left the room?"

She shook her head, "Not once."

Misato frowned, "Then what's he been eating and drinking?"

Sakura looked away, "Nothing. He hasn't left for food, which means he hasn't eaten since he first woke up. Look:" she zoomed one of the displays in on Shinji. A translucent tube could be seen leading away from his lower arm, "He's actually hooked _himself_ up to an IV.

"That's a quarantine room, ma'am; It's not _meant_ for more than one person to be comfortable, nor is there any food or rations. You're either supposed to be in an isolation suit or in bed."

"Has he even slept?"

She shook her head, "Not once. He's actually gone so far as to mix a series of drugs together which, if our records of what bottles were in what position on each shelf were accurate, formed what was essentially a physical and mental stimulant, and a very potent one at that. The database actually has it classified as a narcotic substance. He injected some of it into himself intravenously a few hours ago."

"He's actually drugging himself to stay awake and alert?"

Sakura just nodded, "I think he's trying to design some kind of compound stimulant that he can use to wake the asari. Besides mixing that drug, all he's done is treat Tevos and work."

"You almost sound worried about him."

Sakura didn't respond for a few seconds, "…Do I?"

-α-

Shinji looked away from the display and wiped his eyes. His brain felt heavy. It was getting to the point that he felt as though he were thinking through a thick layer of fog.

His eyes were drawn to the half-empty vial that he'd mixed together. He briefly wondered what EDEN would say if she found out what he was doing: effectively sacrificing his own health for that of another.

The display bleeped as it finished its analysis of the substance he'd considered his best bet yet.

A chemical composition and protein sequence drifted across the screen. Shinji just shook his head and slumped forwards, "Wrong again…"

Every mix he'd come up with so far was either plain toxic to asari physiology or there was some catastrophic aftereffect once the drug had done its work. His most recent failure had been one of these. It wasn't harmful initially, but one of the compounds within it could erode the walls of the more fragile asari blood vessels if used to the extent that Shinji would need to, and he would like to _avoid_ causing a bleed on Tevos' brain if at all possible.

"The problem is, Tevos," said Shinji, opting to talk to her once more in the hopes of avoiding too much sanity slippage, "that there's simply no way that any combination of drugs designed to work in humans will work as well as we need them to in you. You're just…too alien," he paused to get up and pace a few steps, "No offence…"

He walked a few more feet, dragging his IV along behind, "No…what I _need_ is to find a way to get the nasty parts of the drug filtered out and rendered harmless _after_ the stimulant does its job." He shook his head, "but I'd probably need some kind of smart compound that could actually _bond_ with the drug as it worked; a compound that could _recognise_ its environment and then dissolve the parts that were harmful to it." He paused to smile mournfully, "And they won't have anything so miraculous around here for a good hundred years at least."

He shook his head. If he were back on Omega there'd be no question as to what substance he'd be leaping up to grab off the shelf.

He walked back over to his chair and slumped back down, cradling his face and groaning, "Can't somebody just hurry up and invent Medi-gel already?"

He looked to the councillor, "Don't suppose you have any spares, do you?"

And then, as Shinji looked at her, somewhere in the back of his befogged mind, a single word drifted up to the surface of his consciousness:

Omnitool.

Realisation started slowly, but then it picked up speed until it all suddenly came crashing in at once:

His Omnitool contained a triple dose of Medi-gel in case of emergencies.

His eyes drifted to the stimulant displayed on the screen as the pieces began to fit together in his head:

"Three doses," he murmured, eyes locked on the display, "administered over a period of several hours, bonded with the Medi-gel to filter out the harmful aftereffects as the drug does its job."

"Yes…" he dared breathe, "that would _do it._"

Shinji pushed himself back to his feet as a well of excitement rose up in his chest, filling him with momentary glee.

It was probably the drugs, but regardless…

Shinji swiftly went about the hourly maintenance of his patient and swapped out her IV bag for a fresh one, thinking up a plan as he went.

He'd already tracked his Omnitool along with the rest of his gear: It was several sections away in the Isolation block. Unfortunately, getting there from his current location would mean crossing sections that weren't under his control.

And that would mean getting past WILLE. They would be waiting for him.

Shinji considered pleading with Misato to just give him his Omnitool; to let him use it under her supervision. He had actually been about to walk over to the terminal and open communications with her when he was forced to ask himself the painful question:

What if she said no?

What would happen if she knew what his goal was, and that she considered the risk too great to let him have his technology? She'd probably order the device destroyed to prevent it falling into his hands. Then what would happen?

Well the answer to that was simple: He would fail, and Councillor Tevos would die.

He eyed the vial of stimulant and syringe on the table just a few feet away.

He couldn't let that happen.

Shinji clenched his eyes closed, feeling fatigue starting to creep in once more. He wouldn't make it as he was.

Shinji picked up the needle and filled it with the contents of the vial. Considering how much was still in his system, this was most likely a very dangerous thing to do. But he was weakened, and he would not be getting out of this without going into combat. His eyes went to Tevos one last time and he made his choice.

Shinji plunged the needle into his arm vein and pressed the plunger. He then slid it free and gripped his hand over the injection point, waiting for the hit.

Shinji gasped and staggered back, a hand going to his chest as the drug took effect. His heart began racing, objects became bizarrely clear and colours suddenly became unnaturally vibrant around him.

"Give it a moment…" he gasped, choking for breath, "Wait for the…for the initial high to pass."

Shinji waited for the world to return to a semblance of normality as artificial strength flooded through him.

Once his head was clear and he'd lost the ability to smell colours, Shinji removed his IV and stuck a pair of band aids over the injection points.

Moving back to the terminal, Shinji brought up a schematic of the Wunders layout and burned the route into his mind as best he could, which wasn't hard considering his current level of focus. He then followed this by the swift activation of a few choice ECMs.

Shinji detoured to Tevos' side on his way to the door. He leaned briefly in and pressed his lips chastely to her forehead, "I promise I'll be right back, Madam Councillor," a warm smile then spread across his face as he whispered in her ear, "Just need to go fetch my coat..."

Shinji then checked his sidearm and paused to break free a four foot metal support pole from one of the shelving units, twirling it experimentally around in his hand like a makeshift lance.

Finally, he unlocked the door and stepped out into the open, his course set…

-α-

Sakura turned to Misato as they watched Shinji leave the room, "Captain!"

Misato looked sternly at the screen, "Warn all our security forces around those sections. Tell them he's coming. Order them to give him an opportunity to surrender. No lethal force is to be taken without my direct authority."

"Yes ma'am."

Misato turned to walk from the room, only for Sakura's voice to call out from behind her, "Captain!"

She halted and turned back, "What is it?"

"I _can't_ raise security. He's still blocking all our internal communications!"

"Raise them on the radio then."

She shook her head, "He's triggered our own Electronic Countermeasures. Radio is down too."

A chill went up Misato's spine. There was no other way of looking at it: Shinji would only do this if he were planning to go on the offensive.

They were now at war.

-α-

_To be continued…_

[A/N] And the fun is still yet to come. More of a scene setter and a drama piece this one, hope that wasn't too much 'not your thing' but I do try and cater to all tastes. I think you can probably guess what's coming in the next installment. Until next time!

Catch you in Chapter 3: Carving a Path


	3. Chapter 3: Carving a Path

**V 1.10 22/02/2014 minor edits with some Beta help from Genesis D Rose and final edits Vandenbz!**

[A/N] And so, back again. Yay. You know you enjoy writing something when you just jump right into the next bit the very next day. Hoping this one all goes as smoothly as it's been planned out, but there's really only one way to find out. Okay, where was I?

**Chapter 3: Carving a Path**

"Anything yet?" asked Asuka, leaning into the front of the VTOL to address the pilot.

He shook his head, "Nothing, ma'am. I've been trying to confirm landing clearance for the past fifteen minutes. No response."

Asuka gave a frustrated 'tch' and swung around to sit back in her seat, facing the two in the rear compartment.

Rei was sitting calmly in an upright position with her palms resting atop her legs, still saying nothing. Shinji was the same in terms of willingness to communicate, his head resting listlessly against the window.

While Rei may have been silent, she was at the very least visibly attentive to her surroundings, unlike Shinji, whose eyes remained vacant and showed little to no response to any external stimuli.

Asuka shook her head and turned her attention to the view outside. They had been circling the Wunder for some time now, unable to get into radio contact, "What is going _on_?" she groaned.

No response.

She turned her attention sharply to her companions, "Will one of you _say something_!"

There was a pause.

"Like what?" asked Rei.

Shinji said nothing.

Again, all Asuka could do was shake her head in disgust. She chose to then start swinging her foot idly back and forth, _accidentally_ kicking the Third Child sitting opposite in the shin repeatedly in the hopes of provoking some kind of a reaction.

There came a reflexive twitching of the brow, otherwise she got nothing; not a protest nor a complaint.

Asuka stomped her dangling foot down and stood back up, swinging about to lean into the cockpit once more, "Bring us in to land."

"Ma'am?" enquired the pilot, glancing at her.

"You heard me! Something's going on down there and I want to know what."

"B-but we haven't been given clearance yet."

"Do we have a clear flight path?" queried Asuka briskly.

"W-well yes…"

"And do you know where the landing pads are?"

"Yes..."

"Then fly above it, and unless you're about to squash someone, set us _down_ on it. This isn't rocket science."

"B-but…"

"I'll take any rap if it comes. Consider it an order."

The pilot nodded in compliance, "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Land us on Pad C near the secure wing." She glanced over her shoulder, "Misato will want these two put somewhere safe until she can deal with them."

"Understood."

Asuka then turned about and reached over to buckle Shinji's safety harness. She glanced over at Rei, "Buckle up, you. We're coming in for a landing."

Ayanami blinked and then looked down, complying wordlessly after a second while Asuka went to secure herself in.

The Second Child turned her attention to the silent Wunder as they closed in on one of the upper landing pads, her brow clenching into a frown, "Just what the hell is going _on_ down there?"

"I wouldn't know…"

"I wasn't talking to you, clone girl…"

-α-

Asuka hopped down onto the pad as the roaring of engines died down. She looked around, expecting _someone_ to have come out to meet them, "Okay, what is going on around here?!" she shouted.

No response came except for that of her own voice echoing off the control towers. Even the Wunder itself was stationary, as if it were standing guard over something.

Asuka marched back over to the transport. She unbuckled Shinji and dragged him out with her. She paused just a few steps away once she realized they were alone. She let out a frustrated groan and looked irritably back into the transport where Rei still sat, "You too, idiot!"

Ayanami complied again without comment, unbuckling herself and following after. Asuka then leaned sideways to call out to the pilot, "Keep trying to raise the bridge."

The man nodded in response and Asuka headed onward.

They reached an outer door a moment later. Asuka was mildly confused when she realized that it was in fact sealed.

The Second Child picked up the nearby phone and pressed a few buttons. She listened for a second, only to be met with dead silence. She scowled at the handset.

"What?" asked Rei, deciding that the situation may be relevant enough to merit inquiry.

"Comm lines are down…" said Asuka, setting the handset back down. "Something's wrong here. The damage done to the Wunder wasn't _that_ bad. Surely internal comms would've been fixed by now. What could've happened?"

Asuka activated the wall screen and brought up a schematic of the surrounding areas. Her frown deepened "Most of the sections around here have been sealed off. The quarantine wing and isolation sections are all closed down, but the doors _between_ those sections have all been locked open. And beyond that…the doors leading to all other sections have been locked too. I can't tell if this is someone trying to lock something out…or lock something in."

Asuka continued frowning in thought for a second, "Come on, there's a door into the open section just up ahead. Since it's the only place not locked, we may as well wait there until they fix whatever the hell's gone wrong."

Asuka carried on down the walkway. The Wunder was far too quiet for her taste. Despite her size, the ark didn't exactly have a crew complement that was proportionate to her mass. Good help was hard to find those days after all, and what crew they could find was largely lacking in any experience, with many of them barely trained in operating their own equipment. It therefore didn't shock Asuka that an accident could have occurred, and guessed that it was just a matter of waiting until it got resolved.

Asuka then reassured herself that, next to the recent near-miss of the apocalypse, just how bad could any situation they encounter be?

-α-

Asuka entered the main foyer for that area. A transit car stood at one end. Two doorways were at the other, with another open door leading outside directly opposite them.

The door leading off towards the quarantine wing was sealed, while the one that led in the direction of the isolation section was wide open. The transit car appeared to have been locked down also.

But that wasn't what caught Asuka's immediate attention. She flinched into a defensive posture and instinctively put an arm out to usher Shinji behind her for safety. She then extended a hand backwards, indicating for Ayanami to move away also.

The floor was littered with downed security personnel, seven of them.

Asuka edged forwards and dropped down beside the nearest man to roll him over. His face mask was slightly dented, as if something hard had struck it with substantial force on one side.

Shinji spoke for the first time in a while, "Are they dead?" he asked with dull interest.

Asuka spared him a questioning glance before checking the man's throat. She then went to examine a couple of the others before standing back up, "No…" she said, dusting her hands down, "They're all unconscious." She then folded her arms and frowned, "Something beat these guys into submission."

"Like what?" asked Ayanami, "Are there enemy forces on board?"

Asuka shook her head slowly as she realized something from the pattern of the bodies, "No, this wasn't a _group _of enemies," she said, "Whoever, or _whatever_ did this…it looks like there was only one of them."

Asuka's eye swept the floor and then up at the walls, "And it was something fast. Whatever this was, it took them completely by surprise." She nodded at the two men by the sealed door. One was face-down just a few paces away and the other appeared to have been knocked clear, "Those two were hit from behind. Something came out that door," her finger traced the downed forces, "knocked out the first man …then hit the second before he had time to react…"

Asuka eyed the bullet holes in the walls and ceiling, "Whatever it was got in too close for them to use their guns; must've gotten itself into grappling range to disrupt the aim," She dropped down to examine another, "No knife wounds either. No…whatever was responsible for this just weaved among them and dropped them all with…with some kind of blunt object, it looks like."

She examined the one on the floor between the two doorways, "This poor bastard got used as a human shield. Lucky for him his body armor soaked up all the shots. _Then_…" She looked sideways at a scuff mark on the wall, "Slammed right off of the wall as payment for his services. _So_: strong _and _fast then," She folded her arms and nodded at the two lying outside the only open doorway, "probably just clean pounced on those two, momentum got used against them and then just beat them when they were down."

She looked into the open doorway where the last two lay, "Those two would've been taken the second the door opened. Hit them left and right, no challenge. Guessing it left down that way right after…" she said, nodding down the open passageway as she bent down to pick up a discarded assault rifle.

Asuka's brow then furrowed in confusion. It was shocking to her how easily she realized she could track this, "How can you be so sure?" asked Rei.

"Because that's exactly how I would do it…" she replied, seeming almost visibly disturbed, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say these poor SOB's were attacked by…by some kind of _human-sized_ EVA. There's no other way I can look at it: Close up melee combat; never stopping or relenting; as if you still had those sixty seconds on the clock. This thing must've fought like a berserker."

"You're half-right, princess…" came a voice from among the bodies.

Asuka looked up, and only then did she notice there was someone moving on their hands and knees amongst the forms.

A familiar figure in pink was padding around on the ground, "Glasses, glasses…" she muttered.

"Mari…" said Asuka, walking over and assisting her up.

Mari scrunched her eyes up and sniffed the air briefly in her direction, "Ahh, I thought that was you Captain," Mari then tilted her head to look around the redhead and sniffed again, "Hey there, Puppy-kun, welcome back." She then narrowed her eyes further as she spied Rei's outline, experimentally sniffing the air once more "I don't recognize that smell. Is that you, SEELE's girl?"

"Yes." Replied Rei simply.

"I don't…" said Mari uncomfortably, shuffling slightly "I don't suppose you have my spare…" Asuka cut her off however by reaching into her pack and irritably slapping into Mari's hand the spare pair of glasses she always carried around for just this circumstance.

Mari smiled and slipped them on, blinking her eyes as the world came back into focus.

She surveyed the room around them and then folded her arms, "_Well… _Doggy-kun certainly made a mess in here, didn't he?"

Asuka frowned, "_Who?_" she asked, eye flicking briefly to Shinji and back.

"No, not Puppy-kun, I'm talking about the other one."

Asuka frowned, "What other one, other who?"

"_Well…_" said Mari, leaning almost conspiratorially closer, "you know how that second Unit-01 appeared?"

Asuka nodded slowly, "Yeah…"

"Well _guess_ where its pilot chose to turn up."

Asuka's expression became understandably shocked, "_What_? Are you saying that…"

Mari nodded, "Yup. Saw him as plain as day: second Shinji, identical to Puppy-kun, only bigger."

"Was this with or without your glasses?" muttered Asuka.

"_Hey_, everyone else saw him too," objected Mari, whose eyes suddenly brightened to a noticeable sparkle, "Oh, and there was an _alien_ with him too! An actual, real-life alien!" said Mari, seeming rather inappropriately excited.

"An…_alien_?" echoed Asuka, now totally lost.

"Yup. Quite a pretty looking one too. Vice-captain Akagi doped her up and put her in a coma though. That made Doggy-kun mad, so he started causing trouble."

"This…second Shinji, you mean?"

"Yup, he was from the future, or an alternate universe…I'm not sure; wasn't really paying much attention to that part. He somehow came through at the end of Fourth Impact from what I heard, but like I was saying: He got _really_ mad when Ritsuko nearly offed his blue friend."

"Blue…?"

"Yup, blue alien lady. Anyway, so: big Shinji gets mad and starts hacking the MAGI; messing up communications, locking things down. I hear the vice-captain got _really_ angry about it. It was actually kind of funny. And _then-_"

Asuka blinked, waving her hands up to halt the onslaught of absolute insanity right in its path. "Wait, wait, wait…_Shinji_?" She asked.

Mari nodded.

Asuka stepped out of the way and pointed to the boy standing behind her, pinching and tugging on his cheek for emphasis, "_This_ brat?"

Mari rocked on her heels slightly "He wasn't exactly a brat, but yeah…"

Asuka frowned, "Meaning what?"

"Like I said: He got…_big._"

"I thought you said he was an EVA pilot. How could he have gotten 'big'?"

Mari shrugged, "Who knows, maybe someone forgot to tell him the rules."

"There's…" came Shinji's voice from nowhere. Mari turned to him, "There's another me?" he asked quietly, going rapidly from silent to confused and scared, "What do you mean there's another me?" he demanded, his tone becoming desperate, "How can there be another _me_?"

Asuka noticed a rare softening in Mari's normally catlike expression, and her voice had become just slightly quieter when she spoke next, "Like I said: They say he came from another world. So he's _a_ you, not _you-_you. There's only one _you-you, _and that's you…you follow?" Mari then looked to the open doorway, "And trust me when I say: This thing was a completely different animal from you, Puppy-kun."

"It's Shinji…" he murmured.

Mari patted him affectionately on the head, hugging him close with one arm, "You'll always be Puppy-kun to me..."

Asuka quickly pulled Mari aside, "Are you _serious_ about all this_?_" she whispered, Shinji drifting vacantly back to Rei's side a second later.

"Very. For once, princess, I am not joking. You saw Unit-01 yourself, didn't you?"

Asuka could only shake her head, "But…but that's just _mad_…"

Mari could only nod with that grin of hers, "I know. _Great_, isn't it?"

Asuka rolled her only visible eye, "Fine. I'll play along for now. I'll at least accept that _something_ beat these men up."

"_Something_ did alright. I was here when it happened, after all."

"What were you even doing in this section anyway? I thought it was sealed off."

Mari nodded, "It was. Big Shinji sealed off all those sections," she said, nodding at both the closed and the open doors, "And so the Captain ordered everything in the surrounding areas be locked down also to keep him in one place, with only our security here in case he came out."

"Okay…and so you were here, why?"

She shrugged, "I have my own surveillance feeds. I saw he was coming and I happened to be close to this section. So I scaled the outside of the ship and crawled in through a vent. You know, my usual way of getting around."

"You mean that since radio and communications were down, you came to warn security yourself?"

"Nope, I just hid and waited for him to come. I wanted to see what he would do."

"Wait, you mean you could've warned them but _didn't_?"

"They might have shot at him. That wouldn't have been any fun at all."

Asuka just wiped a hand down the side of her face. It was useless trying to work out Mari's motivations at the best of times, "Okay, just walk me through it from the start. If we've got no communications then you'll have to be the one to brief me. And I'd appreciate it if you'd include all the stuff you know but probably shouldn't."

Mari nodded with a smirk, "You're the boss…" She then waltzed back over to the other two with Asuka in tow and then waved her hands in a slow circle, "So there I was…just minding my own business, having just gotten back from saving the world. – Not really your fault that one, Puppy, just bad communication on the part of the grownups- Anyways, I was walking along past the main engine compartment, when there was this big flash, and _bam_-"

"-is this going to take long?" sighed Asuka.

Mari pouted, "Hey, do you want to hear the story or not?"

"Just make it quick…"

Mari grinned, "Right…" and then her wicked expression seemed to darken, "But you're right: I probably should hurry."

"And why's that?" asked Asuka.

Mari nodded at the open door, "Didn't you see the readouts? The main outer door leading into the isolation section is still closed under Shinji's lockout, and everything else is closed with the exception of the doors between. That means there's only one place he can possibly be heading toward down that way, and nowhere else he can leave to afterwards except back the way he came."

"Your point?"

This time Mari indicated the sealed door, "And he locked _that one_ behind him to make sure nobody got in to endanger his blue friend. _Meaning_, if he gets past the security outside the isolation section, and _assuming_ he gets inside, what do you suppose he'll do next?"

Together, their eyes turned back to the open corridor as Asuka spoke, "He'll be coming back this way..."

The de facto Fourth Child nodded, "And with comms, radios, and alarms down, there's no way for security to know he's coming, or for _us_ to know if he's coming back or been caught. His biggest victory was taking away our ability to coordinate against him."

And then Mari just smirked and went on with her tale, leaving the tension hanging in the air…

-α-

_Minutes prior…_

Shinji's footfalls were utterly silent as he approached the secured entrance. He timed himself, step by step. It was lucky the slippers provided with his fatigues had such nicely padded soles.

Security shield after security shield opened ahead of him as per the pre-timed sequence he'd set in motion, and judging by the number of guards he'd sighted on the security feeds, Shinji calculated that he would have just enough time to get from the quarantine area to the isolation section and deal with the people between before the doors briefly unlocked themselves.

It was all going to be a matter of timing. It was just lucky for Shinji that he'd been very well drilled in fighting against the clock. But then, it was only going to be troublesome getting _to_ his Omnitool. Getting back again was going to be so much more straightforward.

"Six, five, four, three, _two_…" he counted as the main door approached.

Shinji snapped his fingers.

'_Begin track 25…'_

-α-

The guard frowned and began to look towards the sound of the door opening directly behind him. He didn't even manage to finish turning however before something hard slammed against the base of his neck and put out his lights.

The second man swung around, only for Shinji to twirl his weapon into an arc and smash him alongside of the head, dropping him too.

Shinji's heart thumped in his ears as both adrenaline and narcotics flooded through his system like liquid fire, drawing everything into such slow motion that every move felt like it had a full five seconds of pre-calculation.

The middle soldier was already turning about with his weapon rising up. Shinji lurched forward and down, under his aim and skidding right up into the guard's personal space. He then carried on the motion and flipped up so his back was against his opponent's chest.

Shinji grabbed firmly onto the man's trigger finger and then leaned back, arching the weapon upwards and unloading a stream of shots up the wall until the clip was empty.

Keeping his arm hooked around that of the soldier, Shinji pirouetted around so he was cleanly exposed to the other two.

With such an easy target exposed, they couldn't resist raising their weapons to open fire, only for Shinji to spin back around at the last instant and effectively aim the man at his friends. A burst of full-auto fire punched into his armor and the soldiers stopped as soon as they realized their mistake.

The impact of the bullets made the man fall slack in Shinji's arms, and so he tightened his grip and then lurched sideways, slamming him off the wall repeatedly until he was naught but an unconscious mass in his embrace.

Again things were slowing. Shinji rolled his blunt weapon up the back of his heel and kicked it into the air overhead as the man dropped.

Shinji planted his foot into the small of the falling man's back and sprang himself forward at the two remaining men. His hands then shot out and caught them flat in the face, knocking them both back, his knees landing in their midsections to absorb the force of the landing.

Shinji bounced off one hand and then flipped back to his feet. Catching the makeshift weapon out of the air, he flicked it down, left and right, cracking the men on their heads as they moved to push themselves up.

Neither got up again afterward.

Shinji backed up against the closed door and slapped the release control. Twirling his staff around just as the door opened, he clipped one guard unprepared on the back of the head before reversing the direction and doing the same to the other.

Shinji took a second to catch his breath, weapon under one arm as he rested his palms against his knees.

'_Interlude…'_

He needed to stay on the adrenaline high. Once he'd gotten started, Shinji knew that he had to keep going to prevent himself from crashing on a positively epic scale. Shinji felt his heart thudding so hard it almost sounded like someone was clapping.

His brow twitched.

In fact, someone _was_ clapping.

And it was throwing off his timing. That was annoying…

"Hey now, that was very impressive. I must say: you really didn't disappoint. That was totally worth the wait."

Shinji caught the shadow of another figure in his peripheral vision. His bloodshot eye flicked out to glance at what at the very least _appeared_ to be a teenage girl in an atrocious shade of bright pink, with pigtails…and _glasses_.

'Isn't it supposed to be a pink elephant, or a _dragon _that you see when tripping the light fantastic?' thought Shinji with dull annoyance.

Shinji tensed, and Pink-Pigtailed-Glasses-Thing raised its hands as it circled slowly into his path, "Come on, you wouldn't hit a girl with glasses now, would you?"

"Suppose not…" said Shinji with a shrug, who then quickly reached up before Pigtails could react and plucked her glasses right off of her nose. He then proceeded to fling them somewhere up ahead, shove the annoying hallucination unceremoniously aside with a palm to the face, and then carry right on walking.

"_Heyyy…"_

Shinji shook his head and marched onwards, "Huh…Well that was just weird_…" _He murmured, "I should probably cut down on the drugs."

He then felt something that sounded suspiciously like breaking glass crunch under his foot as he walked.

"Oh, that better not have been what I think it was!" came an annoyed shout from somewhere behind him.

Shinji snapped his fingers. Break was over.

'_Begin track 26...'_

-α-

With no more bizarre oddities appearing, Shinji assumed he'd stopped seeing things for the moment, at least he _hoped_ that was the case.

Tension was keeping the adrenaline flowing as Shinji careened into a pair of guards who had been on patrol, clotheslining them both to the ground by leaping at them with his makeshift and increasingly battered melee weapon held out horizontally.

A lone guard stood at the next corner with his back turned. The Consort grabbed the man into a sleeper hold and then drove a knee up into his back to defeat his balance, permitting Shinji to increase the pressure until the man went slack in his arms. He then carried on, closing the doors behind him as he went to prevent the noise from carrying too far.

The final corridor leading to the foyer outside the isolation section had just two guards patrolling side by side.

Shinji was counting all the while. He couldn't wait for them to come to him. There simply was not enough time.

He had to risk it.

Shinji swung out into the open and began bolting the length of the corridor, staying low, rushing the pair head-on.

Step after pounding step seemed to take an eternity as Shinji closed like a panther charging its prey.

The distance closed…

Ten meters: No reaction yet, takes a second for the mind to process the information after all.

Eight and a half meters: The pair tensed; the slot machine of instinct starting to spin.

Five meters: The worst response, the one Shinji prayed they wouldn't have gone for: They reflexively raised their rifles to fire.

Three meters: Not enough time to reach them for close quarters combat. If Shinji dived low now they'd shoot him mid-skid; straight at them held the very same outcome.

There was only one choice: Them or you.

Shinji skidded sideways and drew his pistol so quickly that it was little more than a blur, firing off two shots at point blank range.

The noise was particularly deafening thanks to Shinji's slightly elevated senses at that precise moment.

The first bullet punched through a gap in the armor of the man on the right, tearing through his shoulder, the second caught the other clean in the upper right leg.

With the men's aims now thrown decidedly off, Shinji closed to within two meters; swung his weapon around, and knocked one man clean out before diving onto the man with the injured leg and incapacitating him with a bare-handed blow to the neck.

That had taken longer than he'd planned, and now there were noises up ahead. The rest had been alerted.

Shinji kept moving. It was now all or nothing. He dragged his staff up with one hand and a discarded assault rifle with the other as he sprinted on.

Eight were guarding the main doorway; _eight_ stood between him and Tevos staying alive. It was, unfortunately, far more than Shinji was capable of handling solo at that precise moment.

Luckily that wasn't his plan.

A series of events then allowed fate to do that rarest of things; the one it saved for the rainiest and most desperate of days:

It smiled upon one Shinji Ikari.

The gunshots had alerted the men. That meant they were no longer in any kind of formation. By the time Shinji reached the open area, some were already funneling into the corridor.

Four were running at him head on, and so Shinji didn't bother to stop. He had precious little seconds left.

Shinji spun his staff into a full three-sixty circle, twirling about on his heels to build up momentum. He then hurled it at the legs of those charging him with a final twist of his midsection.

Two went down. Shinji then righted himself and weaved about the rest.

Three seconds left.

Shinji raised the assault rifle in one hand and fired a random spray of bullets into an arc ahead. Two guards flinched and dove for cover.

Two seconds left.

The door began opening. That gave one of the remaining two the instant of distraction that Shinji so desperately needed.

With the rest either down or distracted for just the briefest of seconds, it was now just one on one.

Last second…

No time for grace, nor an instant to spare for subtlety.

The last man standing found himself torpedoed into by the charging Shinji and knocked clean under the half-open door with him, which then immediately began to close again as programmed, slamming shut a second later to a hail of gunfire.

Shinji laid brutally into the still-winded man, punching him a few more times than was probably necessary until he went still.

The Consort slumped sideways and collapsed off the soldier, rolling onto his back as he fought for breath. He then raised a trembling hand up and snapped his fingers one last time, shutting off the music in his head.

The countdown had reached zero and the dance was over. It might not have been against a pair of twin Angels this time, but thankfully Shinji's timing had still been perfect nonetheless.

But then he never would've forgiven himself if he'd messed up during Ode to Joy…

Shinji continued to stare upwards at the dark ceiling in silence for a moment, his chest heaving as a cold sweat ran down his brow. "I wonder…" he gasped, pausing to swallow, "if Asuka would've been proud."

He glanced sidelong at the still soldier and couldn't help but chuckle ironically, "No, suppose she wouldn't. I screwed up the landing this time too."

Shinji inhaled through his nose and swallowed a large breath before heaving himself up, limping for the door nearby. He felt immensely weak as he mashed the door controls and opened the darkened lab.

The chill of the sterile, air-conditioned environment provided a small amount of refreshment and Shinji braced himself up against the door for a moment to survey the room.

His eyes swept the lab. The only lighting was that which came from a series of wall monitors and sealed tables with transparent tops.

The top of every table was lit from underneath, brilliantly illuminating the series of artifacts each contained, almost as if they were on presentation.

Shinji's eyes went from table to table, object to object. He then let out a brief, disbelieving laugh as a wave of almost crushing relief washed over him.

'Have I done it?'

-α-

Silence blanketed the Wunder bridge. The feed from the surveillance cameras filled the main display. The staff had only been able to watch in gawking silence as the thing that looked like the Third Child cut an unrelenting swath of destruction through their forces.

It ended as quickly as it started. The cameras flicked from the troops shooting at the sealed door to the inside of the isolation section. They watched as Shinji limped into the lab and rested back against the door inside.

Misato closed her mouth long enough to spin back around to where Ritsuko stood working furiously, "Ritsuko!"

"I'm almost in! So far I've only managed to gain partial access to the lab. I can try and disengage the locks so our people can-"

"-No!" she snapped, "Lock out those tables. No matter what happens, we can't let him gain access to that equipment!"

"Right!" she shouted, her hands literally a blur as she worked with more speed and intensity than she had in over a decade. Ritsuko's focus was so laser-like that it probably rivaled what Shinji's had been like just a moment prior, "I'm in. I can close the blast shields over the examination tables, but I'll have to do it one by one."

"Then do it!"

-α-

Shinji flinched as one of the tables suddenly hissed, and he watched as two thick steel doors began slowly sliding closed over the top of it before locking into place. He then watched as the display on the far left table began to flicker as it started to get overridden also.

'_Ritsuko…'_

"Oh no you _don't!_" roared Shinji, his hands instinctively going for the nearest heavy object, which in this case happened to be a large CO2 fire extinguisher.

Shinji tore it off the wall as one last well of strength surged up from within him, an unearthly bellow tearing from his throat. His vision hazed over to a cloud of red as his brain found god knows what remaining chemicals to keep its functions powered.

He made a beeline charge towards the second-to-left table, effectively running sideways against a bench for a few steps before propelling himself up into the air above it, just as steel began to appear at either side.

With the same intensity he'd possessed when he drove a progressive knife into the Fourth Angel's heart, Shinji brought the cylinder overhead and smashed it down through the top of the table, the steel blast doors catching it on either side.

Shinji landed with his feet braced against the closing doors as the cylinder began to cave. He spied Tevos' Omnitool: It was lying on its stand further back in the case, just out of reach. However there, between his feet, where somebody seemed to have haphazardly tossed it back into the case, as opposed to placing it further towards the back where it should be, lay Shinji's primary objective.

Now, Shinji didn't know who the untidy soul _was_ that had neglected to put the object back in the case correctly, but he swore that, if he could, he would've gone completely and utterly Plan B on them for it.

A cloud of CO2 sprayed out overhead. Shinji's legs were briefly forced together and inch. He growled and forced back harder, regaining his footing.

Shinji reached down between his ankles and grabbed a hold of the object laying there as the metal began to compact further. Carbon dioxide sprayed out at close range, chilling Shinji to the bone.

The room was filled with the noise of hissing and growling as Shinji pushed with his legs and pulled with his arms as though his very life depended on it.

Suddenly, everything gave way. The cylinder compacted fully, releasing a cold blast of CO2 that propelled Shinji back through the air and had him sliding back onto the ground until his back hit the door once more. Something struck his forehead a second later.

There then came a gentle '_shunk'_ as the last of the blast shields finished closing.

Shinji waited for his vision to steady and then looked helplessly up to the ceiling with a dismayed groan.

However, the Consort's dismay lasted only until his brain managed to process the fact that the object that had clonked him on the dome, and that he now held vacantly in one hand, was in fact his own Omnitool.

Shinji looked in blank, gaping disbelief at the piece of gear in his grip.

Unscratched, unmarred and unharmed; beautiful Armali craftsmanship: worth every credit…illegal mods and all.

Suddenly, Shinji's breath began to heave. He thought he was choking. But then he realized he was actually laughing.

It seemed to start out as a struggling, amused chuckle before becoming loud and boisterous. And then, as Shinji pulled himself back up with the device cradled against his chest, he arched his back and just plain _laughed. _

Shinji may had been running off of adrenaline before, but now it was pure endorphin surging through him.

A malicious glint flickered over Shinji's eyes as he strode through the smoke and into the center of the room. He slowly slid the device back onto his left wrist where it belonged and tapped a control.

**USER IDENTITY CONFIRMED.**

**PLEASE ENTER UNLOCK CODE:**

**-**α-

Those on the bridge could only watch helplessly as Shinji patiently, slowly, tapped one key after the next and then brought his Omnitool back online.

Shinji turned his attention back to the tables in front of him and pressed a few controls on his Omnitool display. Misato then felt a distinct chill as Shinji turned and looked right into the camera.

He held his left arm up.

Despite her glasses; despite the surveillance feed separating them, Misato got the strongest sense that Shinji was staring directly into her eyes as he brought his right index finger slowly around, and then tapped a blinking control.

The holographic display seemed to flicker for a second and then, behind Shinji, every single blast shield began drawing back again. A second after that, all the tables themselves opened at once. The Consort then turned to calmly survey what was now freely on offer for him.

Shinji paused to look down and then began entering more commands on his device.

"Ritsuko…" breathed Misato as she turned to her, "Can you…?"

Ritsuko just shook her head as she regarded her own screen. It still showed the interface for the control systems in that lab, however it was now completely blanketed by swatches of bizarre, utterly incomprehensible alien code that seemed to writhe and change itself seemingly at random.

Misato could only turn back and watch as Shinji strolled calmly up to the tables before him.

He hooked the Councillor's dress over one arm and set it down on a nearby worktop. He then swiped his pistol up and set it down on top of the dress along with the Councillor's Omnitool, kicking the trashed CO2 canister aside.

Shinji seemed to slow then as he approached the final table. On it, lying sideways was a pair of boots, trousers, a waistcoat interlaced with armor segments, and finally, a folded white coat emblazoned with the emblem of a certain crime lady's syndicate.

Misato watched Shinji as he just sort of looked at it for a moment. His hand then drifted back to the device on his wrist. He flicked a control.

Misato, and indeed the entire bridge staff flinched as a sudden ringing of audio feedback echoed out from all around them.

"Misato-san…" came Shinji's voice, calm and collected from every single direction, and Misato turned to look at the screen; at the one who was addressing her.

However, even as Shinji spoke, his eyes remained locked on that emblem while his hands worked on his Omnitool, "I've restored internal communications and disengaged all ECMs. You will also find that all lockouts with the exception of those protecting the quarantine ward have been lifted. You should now have free reign to talk to your people."

The device on Shinji's arm seemed to then spread out as nameless parts and shapes began flickering around at blinding speed. A shape began to appear in their midst: a small, dark cylinder with red highlights was being woven into being.

Shinji reached over and picked up the pistol lying nearby. Amongst the smoke he then began undoing the buttons on his WILLE fatigues, "You have until I finish getting changed to tell your people now gathering outside to fall back."

"Your people caused this, Misato-san. You put Councillor Tevos into the state she's in now, and one way or another, I am _going_ to save her and undo the damage you've done," his eyes flicked to her again, "And if you force me to choose between your people; the ones who did that to her, and Tevos herself, then I will choose her every single time. And you might hope that you can justify yourself as being in the right by saying 'Well Shinji could've just surrendered and we would've let him help his friend…', but no: that is no longer an option. My body is failing me, _quickly_, and if that happens before I get back to Tevos and start treating her properly, then she is as good as dead. Time is very much of the essence now."

"So here's what you can do, Misato-san: You can tell your men to stand back, or you can tell them to stand firm. I am more than happy for this to end without a single further incident of violence.

"But know this: if you try and stop me from saving my friend, then every drop of blood spilled here today will be on your hands." He narrowed his eyes right at her and swiped the glowing cylinder out of the air as the lights retreated back into the device. He then twirled the object between his fingers before slotting it into the back of his weapon and locking it shut.

A mechanical whine of something powering up could be heard over the comm link.

Shinji brought his M-77 up and aimed it at the camera, right into their faces effectively, "Councillor Tevos will live today, Captain, and if I have to climb over the still-warm corpses of your crew to ensure that happens, then it will be because you picked that outcome; it will be because Misato Katsuragi _wanted_ violence. And on top of that, you will have also officially broken the first and _only_ law of the Terminus Systems."

"You have five minutes to make your choice."

Shinji then pulled the trigger and a gunshot rang out over the comm link, cutting the image to static. Things then went quiet as the communication link was clearly cut off.

-α-

Shinji regarded the remains of the camera. It looked like his sidearm was working well enough. He angled it to check the heat indicator on the side. The results there were not promising.

The thermal clip he had manufactured was obviously of very basic grade, unlike the custom ones he normally carried around to help dissipate the Paladin's abnormally high heat output. He guessed that, at best, he would get two shots without cooldown before being forced to eject the clip and swap it out. But it wasn't like there weren't ways around that little issue.

Shinji cast the top half of his WILLE grey-green fatigues aside, glancing down at his Omnitool display as he continued to disrobe.

**MANUFACTURING MODE**

**Construction Complete…**

**Omni-gel reservoir at 97% **

**Medi-gel reserves: 3**

Shinji began slipping into his regular trousers as he started to punch in construction commands. He then set his Omnitool down as he bent over to pull his boots on.

He glanced up as a bandoleer unfurled itself within the construction field, each of the six segments within holding its own thermal clip.

**Construction Complete…**

**Omni-gel reservoir at 74%**

Shinji then unfolded his waistcoat and began clipping the armor segments into alignment before buckling the bandoleer over one shoulder and settling it into place.

He then locked his Omnitool back onto his left arm and began flicking through his database with a frown, "Now then, Tara'Zorah, where is that cute little schematic that you gave…ah _hah_…" he trailed off as he located the design that he'd never had any use for up until today, double-tapping the build control to select two instances.

**Warning: Production request will reduce internal Omni-gel reserves to 0.7%. Please confirm if you wish to proceed.**

Shinji hesitated as he folded his coat over one arm.

"All or nothing…" he murmured, and then hit the confirmation control.

The Consort unfurled his overcoat and then slipped his arms though, drawing it up and adjusting the collar as he watched his Omnitool work with detached interest.

He took a step forwards, glancing at his reflection as he pulled free the white gloves from the pockets and slipped them back on too.

'At least I look like me again,' lamented Shinji with a tiny smile. "Aria would've been pleased, I suppose..." he then added vocally with a weary sigh.

A double bleep by his arm drew Shinji's attention down and he caught the two completed objects out of the air just as the manufacturing system on his Omnitool shut down.

Shinji held the two gleaming, segmented silver spheres up in his hands, admiring them as they glinted in the darkness of the lab.

Tara had always said they would come in handy at some point. And while this was her own custom design, capable of operating independently of an Omnitool once constructed and programmed, the engineer had still labelled them as being 'A Quarian's best friend when out there in a big, scary galaxy fighting solo'.

That smile pulled just ever-so slightly tighter at Shinji's lips.

He would just have to see…

Shinji slipped one orb into each pocket. He then folded the Councillor's clothes over one shoulder and pocketed her Omnitool before heading for the door.

When he reached the isolation section door, Shinji pressed one last, particular control on his Omnitool before hitting the final override on the lock.

He wasn't surprised in the least to see what awaited him outside…

-α-

With the cameras in both the lab and corridor outside now down, all the bridge staff could see was an image of that wide, steel door, and the people now gathered out in front of it.

"Misato!" snapped Ritsuko, "We have twenty-six men in readied positions out there! You need to give the order!"

Misato stared at the locked entryway, her teeth gritted, hesitation clear and visible.

"There are _gaps_ in his armor. No matter how advanced his sidearm is he's still only one person!"

"The only _gaps_ being the ones around his throat and _head_ you mean…" murmured Misato with disgust.

Ritsuko looked at her with disbelief, "You would put _him_ ahead of the lives of your own crew? Misato, we must stop him now! You can't risk the fate of the world just because he happens to look like somebody you used to know!"

"You're out of line!" barked Misato, glaring at her.

"Am I!?" shouted Ritsuko right back, "The fate of the world may rest upon us regaining control of him. He essentially now has a master key to every single system on board this ship. Even if there _is_ only a small risk of him utilizing that technology against us later, can you really take that chance when weighed against the lives of every person on this planet? _Yes_, we may have started this as he said, but there is nothing we can do to change that now, nor can we just surrender because of it."

No response.

"Misato!" she shouted, her tone bordering on desperation as she glanced at the screen and back.

"One chance…" she finally said.

"What?"

"One chance: Order them to give him one chance to surrender first. I won't just have him gunned down like some wild animal on first sight. We owe him that much for what we've done."

Ritsuko nodded, "Of course." She then brought a hand up to her earpiece to give the order, "Captain says target is to be given one chance to submit. Any resistance…" Ritsuko paused to look at Misato before continuing, "…shoot to kill."

"Understood, Vice-captain," came the voice of the Security Chief from the other end, "On my order only!" he could then be heard to shout out to the troops around him.

The two officers both turned back to the feed as the doors at the end of the room finally began to open…

They watched as a low cloud of CO2 poured out. Within it, half-concealed, stood a still, solitary figure clad in billowing white contrasted with black. His expression looked set in pure stone. Cobalt-blue eyes glinted darkly like ice in the night.

There had been an almost pathetic harmlessness about the elder Shinji the first time Ritsuko had seen him, clad in those drab green WILLE fatigues and slippers. And while she was aware that he might have been able to hurt her at the time if he so chose, that _something_; that air of vulnerability had still remained prominent.

But now that something had suddenly, _drastically_ shifted, and it was telling Ritsuko Akagi something far different. Put simply, it was saying 'This person could kill me.'

Aria's consort stepped forward.

-α-

Shinji looked out ahead, his eyes calmly surveying his surroundings while over two dozen automatic weapons clicked as rounds were chambered and safeties were taken off, each aiming right at him.

'Now where have I seen this somewhere before?' mused Shinji idly.

He was completely encircled by the WILLE forces who were utilizing hastily thrown up barricades and riot shields as cover to box Shinji in. No emotion was clear in Shinji's eyes. He just continued to survey, left and right.

"Drop your weapon!" came the predictable demand from the one in charge.

Shinji's eyes flicked to the Security Chief. He actually wouldn't have been able to mark him as the one in charge unless he'd spoken. They were all faceless, every last one of them, eyes and expressions hidden behind masks so they couldn't be seen by those they gunned down.

Shinji wondered briefly if that was something to help make their job easier; so that they could sleep better at night. It was just a shame their little safety blanket tended to be a two-way street.

Shinji's left ring finger flicked down and tapped a control on his Omnitool.

Misato flinched as Shinji's voice resonated out from all around her once again, "This is your choice, Misato-san?" he asked, a brief note of sadness creeping in there.

"You don't need to respond," he then added with quiet, almost gentle reassurance, "it's okay... For what it's worth, I'm sure they'll forgive you too. However, nothing will change the fact that, when it all comes down to it…you did this."

Shinji then killed the link, unknowingly leaving a very pale-faced Misato standing in dead-silence on the bridge, her breath caught in her throat.

"One step!" shouted the man again, "You take one step and we will open fire!"

Shinji turned his attention to the troops now. He felt they deserved that much at least, "Is this your choice too?" he asked out loud, performing a slow, sweeping glance about so he'd at least registered the existence of each individual man, "Is your choice, as free-thinking, adult men…to stop me from reaching my friend?"

There was a tensing of the weapons, but there came no response; no sign of surrender; no move to let him pass.

The choice was made.

"Well then…" whispered Shinji, his hands slipping slowly into his pockets and sliding free two silver objects. He raised his right foot up slightly, "…that really is…" moved it forward an inch, "...unfortunate." and then set it down again.

"Drop him!" came the roared order.

The first shots fired from the deafening blast of synchronous gunfire actually struck Shinji's armor. They were, as expected, quite ineffectual.

Ironically, the ones that struck home on his neck and cranium were even less so.

Those slammed right into his fully powered kinetic barrier.

Shinji took several steps forward, ensuring he was the focal point for the continuous stream of gunfire. Never did he move beyond that. He just looked about himself, observing for a moment longer.

But that moment had to end.

He then lowered his hands to his sides and flung the two objects contained within high up into the air with one fluid motion.

Most of the men looked up, following their path as the two glinting silver orbs sailed over their heads.

"Grenades!" cried one of the men, and most of the soldiers around the impact points jumped down behind cover.

Then they _bounced_, and rather audibly at that. They bounced several times as it so happens, over and over again. The gunfire drew briefly to a halt as the orbs rolled to a seemingly harmless stop at two points near the middle and back of the room.

And then, with a dual and almost comical _pop_, the spheres opened.

The men frowned as two glowing blue, almost transparent disc-like objects shot up and then just hovered there, orientating about and scanning their surroundings with sweeping searchlights.

Murmurs of confusion filled the air.

And so, after marking their master as the only friendly in combat zone, the pair of quarian autocannon turrets orientated about once more, this time with intent as they began painting targets, priming the ammunition type their master had selected in his usual style.

There came a quick whine an instant before the two mass accelerated cannons unleashed a stream cold destruction directly into the line of men within their path.

Primitive armour and flesh were punched through like paper. Some shots tore clean through several people at a time before embedding themselves in walls, reducing whole lines of soldiers to mere fragments of scattering ice crystals.

Cries of terror and confusion filled the air as the troops desperately aimed their fire on the turrets. But primitive, chemically propelled slugs meant absolutely nothing to even the weakest of kinetic barriers.

They may as well have just been throwing their bullets at them.

The turrets spun in the air and fired, spitting death indiscriminately and without mercy. Some men turned and fled, but the targeting sensors marked and picked them off regardless. Machines had no concept of the Rules of Engagement, and an open back just represented a more easy and appealing target.

Still Shinji didn't move. He was only forced into action when the leader of the squad, who had thrown himself to the ground for cover, realized that the turrets weren't firing in the Consort's general direction.

He pulled a buck knife free and lunged at Shinji with a deafening roar.

The turret orientated about to take out the target as it crossed into a safe line of fire.

Shinji however, got there first...

The man seemed to hang in the air before Shinji, knife primed for the plunge. The Consort's hand whipped up however and fired a single shot at point-blank range. As expected, the man didn't drop. He simply _exploded_ in mid-air, raining hyper cold shards down over Shinji's shoulders.

The Consort's eyes flicked ahead when more tried charging. He fired again, picking one off without a second thought.

The next man had a window of opportunity when Shinji's Paladin flashed its error and force-ejected the thermal clip.

Shinji pulled his Omni-blade free instead and just slashed out in an arc, carving straight through armor like butter and cutting directly into flesh. As the man fell back, screaming in pain, Shinji flicked a new thermal clip free from his supply, locked it into place, and then took out the man while he was still down.

Shinji picked up the Omni-blade lying in the pile of ice and kept it ready in his left hand. His gun arm throbbed its objection however as he repeatedly fired the heavy pistol one-handed, but it wasn't like he needed much accuracy in his aim anyway.

Another man came, and then another, but Shinji just picked them off without mercy. There was no need to worry about enemy armor or barriers in this scenario. No, every single shot was a simple, point-blank, one-hit kill.

The rest were all but slaughtered in short order. With no escape route, the majority was just plain executed by the turrets, and Shinji had fallen into a quick pattern of shooting, deflecting close quarter's assaults and swift reloading.

By the time the turrets fell silent, Shinji was down to his last thermal clip, the rest lay discarded in a circle about his feet.

Throughout the entire encounter, he hadn't moved from that one spot.

The air was filled with smoke, but the usual heat of battle did not radiate around the room. Instead, Shinji's breath hung clear in the air, his skin was coated with a thin but noticeable layer of frost. The foyer had been turned into a literal freezer thanks to the remnants of the dozens of men lying scattered about him.

A groan sounded off to one side. A man was shifting on the ground, his right leg and arm had been blasted off and reduced to rapidly melting frozen stumps. He choked on his own breath and blood, and was most likely an agonizing moment away from death due to the ice crystals in his blood as he reached out, desperately trying to grasp hold of his discarded weapon with his one remaining arm.

Shinji didn't even bother to look, he just extended his weapon to the side, squeezed the trigger, and the temperature in the room dropped by a few more degrees.

The last sound of the battle was Shinji's weapon ejecting its final clip, spent like the rest.

Shinji unbuckled his bandoleer and let it fall to the floor at his side. He then stowed his weapons away and strolled forwards.

Sensing the combat situation to be over, the turrets drew up to their master's side.

Shinji held his hands out, palms up and the turrets retracted back into their spheres and dropped nimbly into his hands once more. He then looked briefly around at the field of cold, jagged crystal that surrounded him as he stowed the orbs away.

He then turned his attention ahead once more and just started walking, "Congratulations, Misato Katsuragi…you just fucked with Aria."

Shinji glanced just one last time over his shoulder when he reached the foyer entrance, "Perhaps 'still-warm corpses' was the wrong expression…"

-α-

_To be continued…_

[A/N] And we are done for this chapter. Sorry if there wasn't much more to it this time than 'Shinji beats people up and then shoots at stuff for a whole chapter' (and no, that wasn't the working title) if that's not your thing, but I think it had to be done in this instance. And while I'm aware this was shorter than some of the others, it was in fact originally one _much_ longer chapter, over twice as long as it happens, but I've decided to merge that into the next chapter and rewrote this into one, since I felt the narrative just worked better that way and the tones of the two halves didn't quite mesh as much as I wanted. (Actually, I just looked at my counter and realised that this 'half' ended up at about ten thousand words, so not too bad I guess). On the bright side, means next chapter will probably be out sooner. Ah, fun. Until next time.

Catch you in Chapter 4: The Negotiator


	4. Chapter 4: The Negotiator

**Version 1.1 23/02/2014 with help from Vandenbz.**

[A/N] Hoping this one comes out with relative swiftness. Was basically an edit/rewrite to get this done since I sort of had it originally as one long chapter along with the last one. As usual, thank you all for the kind words and recommendations, you inspire me to keep moving and deliver a little weekly dose of escapism. Onwards to glory!

**Chapter 4: The Negotiator**

An absolutely gaunt silence blanketed the bridge of the AAA Wunder. The crew could only stare in horrified disbelief at the screen in front of them; at what remained of their assault force.

"Twenty-six men…" breathed Midori, eyes wide with sheer terror, "He just…he just _massacred_ them on the spot." She took a shuddering breath, "Just what the hell is he?"

'He was backed into a corner', thought Misato. She'd backed Shinji Ikari _right_ into a corner, and he'd actually gone so far as to actually warn her, repeatedly. He'd even stopped to give her one last chance.

He'd all but _told her_ what was about to happen, and yet she let it happen regardless.

The Captain's hands were gripped tightly onto the guardrails of the command level platform as she looked at the security feed. It was taking all of her willpower just to prevent her knees from buckling under her.

She'd just sent over two dozen men to their deaths, and all because of their wish to be in control of the situation, a desire that wouldn't let them consider a compromise with Shinji. Their minds just hadn't been able to _process _the possibility that he could stand head and shoulders above them. But he could, and he'd walked right over them as a result.

But Misato had to remain composed; she had to remain calm. After all, if she didn't, who else was there?

"Order all our forces back," she finally found her voice enough to quickly say, "Just get everybody out of his path for now. No further tactical engagement or aggressive posturing is to take place unless explicitly ordered so by me."

"Misato," gasped Ritsuko, "you _can't_ just let this-"

Misato just carried right on talking, "-Then have all available security personnel gather around the quarantine section. I want them equipped with every single high-explosive and heat-based weapon we have available. Once Shinji gets past, I want a defensive cordon set up ASAP." She then turned away from the screen, "He's only made his intentions clear up to when he succeeds in healing the asari. We need to be ready for whatever he chooses to do next; or for what happens if he fails."

Ritsuko nodded, "Of course." She then hesitated before turning to walk away, "You did what you had to do. You know that, of course?"

Misato couldn't bring herself to look at her, "No, I didn't. And I'm going to have to be the one who lives with that." and just for the briefest of instances, her eyes flicked icily to Ritsuko.

An uncomfortable blanket of silence briefly crossed the bridge.

"Carry on, vice-captain." Misato finally said, her back turned still.

Ritsuko could only avert her gaze, "Yes, captain…"

Misato didn't turn back until Ritsuko had departed. She then found her attention being drawn off to the side as the MAGI altered the security feed on screen, obviously feeling the need to alert her to something.

The Captain frowned as she spied Asuka, Mari, Shinji and Rei standing together outside one of the transit stops. Mari appeared to be in the midst of explaining something rather excitedly to the others.

The screen then changed. A map overlay flicked up, indicating a single blinking blue dot that was closing in on their location. Misato didn't need to guess what the MAGI's AI was trying to warn her about.

The children's backs were all still turned when the image zoomed in on the open doorway across the room. First to become visible was just the shadow. Seconds later that figure in white then emerged, stopping at the threshold.

Only Ayanami turned her head, as if sensing the looming presence somehow. Mari was still talking and Rei made no move to interrupt or alert anyone. They both just stood there, looking at each other in silence.

The figure's hand began to slip into his pocket.

"No…" breathed Misato as an all-consuming dread filled her, 'He _wouldn't…_'

Her hand flew over the nearby console and quickly opened a comm link to the whole room, "Everyone, _get out of there!"_

The group on screen flinched. Asuka looked up, clearly mouthing the Captain's name in confusion.

Ayanami just tapped Asuka on the shoulder and then nodded towards the doorway.

With a frown, Asuka arched her head about to briefly glance in the indicated direction and then away again. She tensed and swung back about again to face the newcomer, followed quickly by Mari and Shinji.

Misato could only watch helplessly as the figure drew his hand free again.

It was empty.

-α-

_Moments earlier..._

In contrast to the WILLE staff, Shinji actually found it somewhat interesting that he was barely sparing a second's thought toward what had just happened. It didn't take him long to work out _why_ he wasn't dropping to his knees under a storm of guilt though. And it was only in part due to the drugs that were _still_ both numbing and throwing off his emotional responses.

After using up nearly all his strength in retrieving his Omnitool with non-lethal force, Shinji had offered to call it quits from there; nobody had died up until that point on either side. He'd even only shot to injure as a last resort. Everyone, including Tevos, could've simply healed from that point. He had _told them_ he was willing to walk past without incident if they'd allowed it.

He'd attempted negotiation, but his offer of peace had been declined.

He paused to shake his head once more.

Shinji refused to feel one shred of guilt for an outcome not of his own choosing.

If Misato wanted to make him choose between WILLE's forces and the innocent that WILLE had endangered, then he would gladly make the same choice each and every time.

He glanced back briefly. The ice on his feet had melted, and his footprints had become a morbidly bloody red. Aria had once commented on his odd tendency to favor cryo ammo as a first resort. And since he'd first seen Garrus utilize it upon arriving on Omega, Shinji always found himself selecting it almost on instinct due to the sheer cold cleanliness of the kill it created. He found the prospect of his enemies just being…_gone_ a far less traumatic way to fight when forced to resort to lethal force. Incendiary would've done the same, of course, but he loathed the stench of burning flesh, and then there was the _screaming_. The only regret that Shinji had was how he'd been forced to wade through the men's remains and not left so much as a body for their families to bury.

Shinji staggered, a brief muscle spasm and a wave of weakness washing over him.

The Consort realized he was quickly running out of steam, and the emotional trauma over his current situation that he was refusing to accept and kept bottling up wasn't helping much either.

The stimulants had all but worn off now and he could feel his body preparing to punish him dearly for the exertion he'd forced out of it.

The crash was rapidly approaching.

"Nearly there…" he gasped, briefly staggering to a limp, "Just a little more. _Then_…can administer the first dose. Then rest…at least for a little while..."

Shinji noticed that no more guards had gotten in his way on the return journey. Even the two he'd shot in the leg and arm had been moved to safety. No reinforcements had come rushing up to meet him whatsoever.

It was therefore with no small amount of relief that Shinji found himself back outside the quarantine section once more.

The men had been removed from there too. _Instead_, they'd been replaced with something else...

"-_knows_ what's going on," came a hauntingly familiar, high-strung voice, "They told us to go take cover and then just rushed off. Typical of them not to tell us anything."

Shinji looked across the room and immediately began to doubt his own sanity once more.

What appeared to be Rei Ayanami –dressed in _black_ for some reason- turned to look at him dead-on.

Rei regarded him blankly, though there seemed to be a genuinely bewildered look in her eyes.

Silent, but always honest in expression: Rei all the way, mused Shinji with vacant irony.

Shinji responded to Rei's look with what he assumed was a similar befuddled expression. He then looked down at his hands as if to test something. He blinked his eyes and counted his fingers to make sure he was seeing everything right.

'I thought this crap was wearing off.' Thought Shinji with dismay, 'How are the hallucinations getting _worse_? Oh god, is this…is this a _freak-out_?'

He slipped his hand into his pocket and then gripped the sphere within until definite pain registered.

'Nope, definitely not dreaming, so…haven't passed out at least.'

That was when Misato's voice boomed out from all around him, "Everyone, _get out of there!_"

Shinji winced, pain stabbing through his head, 'Was her voice always that damned _screechy_?'

He then drew his hand back out to wipe his eyes in the hopes of clearing them. He then looked forwards once more.

Nope, they were still there.

The party turned to look at him, and only then did Shinji get a proper look at all their faces.

'Oh…_god,_ I really need to cut down on the drugs.'

And with little other recourse, Shinji just flung his arms up in exasperation, "_Okay_, I'll play. So let's see what we have now, shall we?"

And so, Shinji began pacing left and right, glaring at the silent group, "We have..._Ayanami. _Nice to see you back in Technicolor again."

Shinji then inclined his head to sardonically acknowledge the next member, "Hello again, Pigtails. Don't think I missed the continuity error there with the glasses. My mind couldn't even keep _that_ straight."

"It's Mari!" snapped Pink Thing, "Mari Illustrious!"

"Well that's a stupid name." scoffed Shinji, "Is that the best my brain can do?"

He then shifted his gaze down the line, "We've got a _Mini-me. _That's just laziness."

And finally, Shinji just couldn't hold back a burst of derisive laughter, "And…oh, _beautiful. _It's Asuka: _Pirate Edition..._Props to my drug addled imagination for trying to be ironic…" His smile then instantly vanished, "You look ridiculous."

Asuka blanched with indignation, "Who in the hell are you calling a _pirate_?"

"Shut up, Sohryu! I've got no more time to waste on hallucinations!" he then turned away and started limping toward the locked door.

"My _name_ is Shikinami!"

"And she can't even get her own name right..." murmured Shinji as he went.

"I don't have a stupid name…" muttered Mari glumly.

Regardless of how ridiculous and surreal the situation was, Asuka's brain ended up feeding back an instinctive, fourteen year-old response to being annoyed by Shinji Ikari:

Throw something at him.

Asuka grabbed hold of the nearest object, which in this case turned out to be the survival kit strapped to young Shinji's chest. She then tore it free and lobbed it across the bay at the retreating form.

The pack sailed through the air and clonked Bigger Shinji clean on the side of the head, staggering him briefly.

That was when she noticed the gun strapped to his back.

The elder Shinji frowned, eyes blinking as his hand went almost vacantly to the side of his head, "…_Ouch._"

His eyes then went slowly to the pack on the floor, which he picked up to examine almost experimentally, weighing it in his hands. He then looked back towards Asuka again, "You…you threw this at me."

Asuka, who still had her hand outstretched, suddenly looked immensely uncomfortable. Misato had after all just screamed at them to run for their lives, "Y-yeah….take that."

"B-but you _hit_ me. It _hurt_."

Asuka drew herself up, "Well I'm glad you noticed."

Shinji shook his head and then just laughed incredulously, "Don't be ridiculous, that would mean you're real."

His face fell.

"Oh sweet god, you're actually real, aren't you?"

"Of _course_ I'm real, moron! How can you be such an idiot in any shape or form?"

Shinji's face became absolutely distraught, "Oh, _god_…" he groaned as he looked at Asuka, eyepatch and all.

He then looked back at the younger Shinji, who was just staring at him agape, "Oh god, do not get me _started_ on you right now."

Finally, he looked to Rei, "_Ayanami…_" and then, after an instant of hesitation, he just shrugged, "Hi."

Rei nodded.

The elder Shinji then proceeded to take a deep breath, lean right back onto the balls of his heels, and finally clap his hands pointedly together, "_Okay…_No." and then he just swung about to walk away again.

Asuka frowned, "No?"

"_Nope_." repeated the elder Shinji, "Just no. I have weighed up my options, Asuka Langley Whomever, and I have chosen not to deal with this right now."

"Don't you walk away from me!" snapped Asuka, taking a step forwards as Shinji turned to leave.

"Do not _fuck _with me when I'm high, Eyepatch!" barked back the elder Shinji, his emotions swaying again briefly and driving Asuka to a halt, "I am so not in the mood to deal with you right now. And _you_,_" _he said, pointing sidelong at his younger self before just clenching his finger back again and shaking his head, "Oh, I will _get_ _to you_ in good time. And wipe that gormless look off your face. You look like Kaworu just died."

There followed a brief pause.

"He did…"

Big Shinji blinked, "_Oh…_" his shoulders then deflated slightly as he sighed, "Did he lose his head?"

Little Shinji nodded.

"Right…right, he tends to do that. But don't worry, he'll pop up again…_repeatedly_…whether you like it or not."

Another pack then banged off Shinji's head, "That's for calling my name stupid _and_ for breaking my glasses, jerk!" shouted Mari, who then proceeded to stick her tongue out at him for good measure.

Shinji merely glowered at her before snapping the object up, "And to think I actually thought you were cute at first glance."

Mari seemed briefly taking aback. "Hey!" she objected, blushing just slightly, "I'm cute! How can I be anything but? I mean, just look at me," she said, pointing at her own face with both index fingers as Shinji unlocked the door with the device on his arm.

The elder Shinji then limped off through the open door, shaking his head all the way.

"_Well…_" sighed Mari after the door had locked shut once more and silence descended, "that could've gone worse I guess..." and just like that, she was instantly cheery again, going so far as to hook an arm around the shell-shocked younger Shinji's neck and drag him right into her bosom, "Oh, Puppy-kun, don't you ever change."

Shinji muffled something like an agreement, but was otherwise still too stunned to speak. Asuka just stared off at the doorway in silence.

'That was…_Shinji_ when he's older?'

Her eye then narrowed, 'Still an idiot.'

-α-

"Okay…" said Shinji as he ducked under the containment shields as they raised up in front of him, "_So_: there's a little me; a one-eyed Asuka; and Ayanami's back for the…how many times does that make now? _Probably_ going to have to deal with all that later..."

He then glanced down at the two bags draped over his arm and unzipped one. It turned out to be some kind of portable survival pack. There was a miniature med-kit, a signal flare…

His eyes brightened.

…and freeze dried coffee along with a bunch of high-protein ration packs.

Shinji couldn't believe it. They'd actually just hurled _provisions_ at him.

He smirked. 'Well if they don't want them _that_ much…'

-α-

Shinji entered the quarantine ward, sucking down the entire contents of a protein paste pouch in one go before setting it down.

His face screwed up and he shuddered, "Tastes like a cross between…boiled potatoes and the bar nuts in Afterlife, and not the ones in the VIP section…" He reasoned however that it was a small price to pay for getting a good thousand calories into your system in one blast.

Shinji shrugged up his sleeve and turned his attention down toward his Omnitool. He pressed a few controls and the device let out a hiss as a section on the side depressurized. A segment opened up and a transparent tube filled with orange liquid slid out.

Shinji pulled free the capsule of Medi-gel. It would take time for his Omnitool to prime the next one, but he wasn't in any rush. It would be hours before he'd need it.

He then took a steadying breath and walked over to the medical station to pick up one of the pre-prepared stimulant vials.

Shinji broke the seal on the Medi-gel and added it to a syringe with the stimulant. The first dose would be the largest; the second being around half of that in volume. The third one would then, with any luck, kick-start the awakening process.

Shinji held up the syringe. He tapped the side gently and gave it a few seconds for the gel to adapt and bond with the drug before approaching the Councillor's arm.

Shinji slid the needle into the IV tap and looked up at the Councillor, "Okay, Tevos…I suppose this is it." He paused to swallow, "If this doesn't work, I just-"

He cut himself off with a dismissing shake of the head.

The time for doubt had passed.

Biting the bullet, Shinji pressed the plunger slowly in until it bottomed out. He then gently massaged his patient's arm before sliding the needle free.

Shinji then stood back, fingers interlaced as he watched the readouts.

There were no sudden drops, as well as no dangerous spikes in heart rate or sign of any palpitations. Respiration also remained stable.

'So far, so good…'

Shinji quickly jotted down the administration times on the side of each remaining vial in preparation to add the Medi-gel later before setting the alarm on his Omnitool.

"Rest…" gasped Shinji, feeling his legs finally starting to give way under him as he sank down against the tiled wall by the bed, "got to rest…"

Three hours in between doses; Six hours sleep total...

It was practically an eternity.

-α-

"You gave him your ration packs?" demanded Ritsuko angrily, glowering down at the two pilots.

"I wouldn't say _gave,_" said Mari sheepishly as she paced back and forth within the conference room, "…_Thrown_." She then settled down into one of the chairs and looked back at the vice-captain, "Besides, how would you rather have him: Calm and collected, or crabby and trigger-happy?"

"He's already taken out over two dozen of our men, _good men,_ and hospitalized nearly a dozen more," said Hyuuga with disgust, "You can't just let that stand, Captain."

"What happens next is my decision to make," said Misato quietly, arms crossed in front of her as she circled the conference table slowly.

"You can't seriously be thinking there might still be a peaceful resolution to be had?" demanded Aoba.

"I'll let you know what I think _if_ I think you need to hear it!" snapped Misato, who then quickly took a calming breath to regain her composure. Her lack of sleep was quickly catching up with her, "The fact remains that we still need to learn about the second Unit-01. Were there no survivors of the shootout whatsoever?"

Makoto shook his head, "Not one. I don't know what in the hell kind of weapon he was using either. It seemed to flash-freeze both organic and inorganic matter on contact. And those…_automated_ things; they tore through our armor like it wasn't even there. Our scientific division theorize that the bullets must've been wrapped in some kind of _inverted_ kinetic field that expands on contact and snaps molecular movement to a halt with such force that the target simply shatters."

"Do we still have surveillance on him?" asked Misato.

Ritsuko nodded, tapping a control on the table. An image of the quarantine ward flicked up, "He doesn't seem to have bothered cutting that off. However I wouldn't know where to begin overriding the lockout he's put in place around those sections now. We're not getting in there until he either lets us, or we force entry."

"He'll be coming out, sooner or later," said Misato, "He's most likely only planning on staying in there until the Councillor recovers...or until she doesn't. What's the status of our defenses?"

Aoba responded, "We've set up defensive barriers and have over three dozen men armed with RPGs, high velocity sniper rounds and even flamethrowers. They're ready should he try and force his way past. "

Makoto spoke up, "He only seemed worried when he got charged head on. That probably means he's not invincible so long as you can get your hands on him. If I were to guess, I'd say that shield of his was designed primarily to stop bullets. Since he wasn't wearing any breathing equipment, if we try fire or another kind of atmospheric extreme then that might just do it."

"We assume…" muttered Misato.

"Assumptions are all we have." said Ritsuko. "It's not like we can try BC weapons, not without wiping out our own people in the process."

"We can only wait for now," said Misato, "What's the status on our Shinji?"

Asuka sat forward in her chair, "He hasn't said much since I dragged him out of EVA-13. The DSS Choker took his friend's head clean off in front of him. There wasn't much left when I looked into his plug.

"I can only guess that they showed him what was left of Tokyo-3 and somehow convinced him to pilot out of guilt. The SEELE kid must've just been the last straw." Asuka shook her head, "Bottom line: he's harmless. I've got him in the spare guest quarters. The Ayanami clone's keeping an eye on him."

"And what about her?" asked Ritsuko.

Asuka shrugged, "Now that her mission for NERV is over she seems oddly willing to just follow orders from any officer who happens to be around. She just seems to have latched onto WILLE now that NERV appears to have no more use for her. I really don't think there's any point in locking them up. It would just be a waste of resources."

Misato nodded ponderingly.

Asuka stood up and then looked down upon the table-top display, circling it slowly. It was zoomed in on the image of the elder Third Child as he sat braced against the wall, sound asleep, "_This_ is what took out all our security?" she then paused, frowning in thought, "He was acting…weird when we ran into him. He said something about being _high_."

"He probably was," replied Ritsuko, "We observed him injecting himself with a literal cocktail of physical and mental stimulants to keep going. According to our surveillance he hadn't slept for days before he did this."

"Okay, but does someone want to tell me now _why_ in the hell we pumped that alien chick full of that crap in the first place?" asked Asuka, looking around.

"It was a mistake," replied Ritsuko briskly, getting rather annoyed at having to keep justifying herself for doing her job.

"I'll say," said Mari with an inclination of her head, "over twenty of our guys are dead because of it. So, as far as mistakes go, _yeah_: biggie."

Ritsuko gave a sharp intake of breath but otherwise retained her composure.

Asuka then looked at the image of the alien being for a long moment, "She really came from another world?"

Misato nodded, "Shinji didn't say where she was from exactly. He wasn't really too forthcoming. He said she was under his protection though in some way. Again, he didn't clarify what he meant."

"Did everything for a girl again, did he?" murmured Asuka with a slow shake of her head, "I suppose when an idiot gets big he just becomes a bigger idiot…"

Asuka then turned and walked for the door, "I'm going to go check on the brat; best make sure he's not getting into trouble."

"Is that the excuse you're using?" prodded Mari with a smirk.

Asuka gave an indignant scoff, but otherwise didn't respond.

-α-

Shinji groaned as his Omnitool shrieked out an alert, making what he could only describe as the perfect bad noise. That and the minor electrical surge it was programmed to jolt him with helped too.

His body felt like lead, as did his thoughts.

Shinji dragged himself up and slapped the annoying device, "Stupid future technology…"

Shinji wiped his eyes and forced himself to focus before drawing out the next primed dose of Medi-gel.

Preparing the next shot, he circled around to the readouts, trying to prepare himself for the worst.

He'd been _dreaming_ about the worst, after all.

He then blinked his eyes, forcing everything into full focus.

He was not disappointed with what he saw. Through his pain and exhaustion, Shinji could see that Tevos' neural activity had shown a marked, if not massive improvement. It was actually well beyond what he could've hoped for at that point. It was almost as if she were dragging herself out of it by willpower alone. Although, the Medi-gel had probably helped in some way too.

A weak smile pulled at Shinji's lips, "Magnificent…" he said through a very dry throat as he then proceeded to inject the next dose.

Shinji then took a dose of mild painkiller to mask the throbbing in his muscles. He followed this by swallowing down another tube of the horrible ration paste and finally sinking back down against the wall once more.

He needed to keep recharging too.

-α-

The next time Shinji awoke, he felt marginally better. The pain in his head was dulled but he still felt exhausted due to the lack of a good night's sleep. It was better than nothing however.

He groaned and pushed himself up. His muscles were still aching but not to an intolerable level at least.

He boiled up some water using the sterilization equipment and poured himself a coffee, adding in the dried milk and sugar afterwards.

Shinji took a sip, only for his face to screw up once more, "NERV or not, the coffee still tastes terrible…"

Regardless of flavor, the heat and caffeine were still nothing short of sublime. Shinji briefly considered another, smaller dose of stimulants too; just something small to help get him back to full strength. He suddenly found his mouth however echoing the words of another before the thought could even finish processing:

"Want to stay on top, got to keep your head there…"

Shinji clenched his eyes shut and pushed aside the idea. A sad smile then pulled at his lip, "Sorry, Aria, almost forgot…"

But then that would've been all he needed: becoming a drug addict as well as being lost in an alternate world.

Instead, Shinji just nursed his coffee and went back to attending his patient.

He administered the final injection. He was out of Medi-gel as well as Omni-gel now, but then he couldn't think of anything more important to have used it on.

He checked the readings again. They had spiked up to levels that would've been dangerous for a human, but in an asari matriarch they were _almost_ perfect.

"Brain activity would indicate..." murmured Shinji, "bordering on the deepest level of REM sleep, or at least your equivalent to it. Blood-oxygen…back at normal levels."

Shinji stood back up again. There was just one thing left for him to do now.

He reached down and removed the breathing tubes before doing the same with all the other bits of equipment and piping linked up to her body. He left only the IV in for now.

Shinji sank down against the opposite wall, coffee cupped in his hands, "I'll leave the rest to you, Councillor."

Shinji then looked down at his Omnitool and brought up the display, deciding to do some light reading for now.

His hand strayed over his inbox and he found himself bringing it up out of mild curiosity.

There was still one unread bit of mail, from Sha'ira in this case. He'd never quite gotten around to reading it during that last day on Omega, nor did he really have much in the way of time to respond either.

Not that he ever could now...

Shinji's finger hovered over the message for almost a full moment, only to pull back again.

He realized that if he read that now; if he faced what he had lost with nothing left beyond it, then he would probably break right then and there. He made a similar point to avoid his photo album.

He instead went back and pulled up a random research paper on asari evolutionary biology and then just started reading.

-?-

_Darkness...Everywhere._

Tevos didn't feel right.

She tried to ponder her situation. Unfortunately however, it currently seemed to be impossible for her to form clear impressions or to even initiate a clear train of thought.

Puzzling.

She didn't remember _indulging_ in some way on the previous evening in order to get herself into such a state.

Actually, she couldn't even _place_ her last memory.

This was most distressing.

However, there suddenly came a change. A level of focus seemed to flood into her from all around like a cool breeze of pure, sweet awareness.

Connections rapidly started being made in the memory and logic centers of her brain. An image appeared: A young human was crouched in front of her, seemingly in pain and surrounded by a rapidly expanding veil of light.

Another flood of cool clarity came at some point later. More connections became established, allowing for an increased flow of information.

Things were working again.

Another flash of memory then surfaced: Someone had been looming over her, shining something into her eye. It was a human female; a human female with…_very_ unconvincing yellow hair.

There had been darkness for the longest time after that. Her only awareness had been of a voice orbiting her on the very edge of her perception, talking to her as if she were actually listening somehow.

Rather foolish really.

But she'd known that voice. And she'd used it as her anchor every time it fluttered into being; a handhold to keep her from sinking even deeper into the murky depths.

But she was drifting back to the surface now. The world was rapidly re-establishing itself around her. Even though her mind still felt immensely foggy, it still felt as though something was dragging her back to the waking world.

Tevos inhaled. A strong, anti-sceptic scent filled her sinuses.

'Most unpleasant…'

But she didn't groan, nor did she didn't moan or mumble. No, she was far too old to yield to such impulses over mild sensory discomfort.

She was irritated, uncomfortable, but still perfectly composed.

Tevos opened her eyes.

-α-

The light, now that was _far_ more unpleasant. Tevos' body felt weak, almost stiff. She raised one hand up to block out the light until her eyes adjusted.

Tevos arched her head to the side. A translucent piece of tubing was running down toward the small of her arm. She tensed her muscles experimentally, realizing that there was in fact a needle embedded in her skin.

Now that was most peculiar.

'Intravenous nutrient feeding?' Her brain processed, 'Weakness indicates incapacitation for several days at the very least.'

She needed more though. Tevos needed information.

Then followed the question that Tevos didn't want to admit was giving her a sense of deep unease that almost bordered on dread:

'Where…am I?'

Tevos looked down now. She was clearly in a hospital bed and in _some kind _of medical facility.

'An absurd, almost comically primitive medical facility…' she commented mentally.

Tevos sat up slightly, and the sight of something familiar gave her a brief sense of relief. It was also in that instant that she realized she could finally place the voice that had been drifting about her on the edge of the darkness.

'Shinji Ikari…?'

Aria's future bondmate was sitting against the wall across the room. His knees were drawn up to his chest with his Omnitool braced against the backs of his legs. He appeared to be drifting in and out of consciousness himself.

Now, as much as Tevos didn't want to intrude unduly on his rest, she genuinely believed some explanations were in order.

"I need to buy some decent books…" grumbled Shinji dismally as he forced himself briefly back to a waking state and flicked a page over.

He wiped his eyes.

"Well I suppose I could make you some recommendations," said Tevos, and Shinji's head snapped up so fast that he bashed it off the tiles behind him, "but before that…do I _want_ to know precisely where I am, Consort Ikari?"

Shinji slid to his feet and approached slowly, "Councillor...Tevos?" he asked, his voice small.

"Correct…" she responded, sitting up further, "Now…" she began to say, but was cut off when Shinji chose to promptly break one of the most basic rules of doctor-patient etiquette.

He hugged his patient.

Tevos tensed, her arms held out to the sides as Shinji embraced her tightly, "Thank goodness." He whispered, "For a while there, I actually thought I might lose you..."

Tevos looked about uncertainly, and with little other recourse just closed her arms about Shinji briefly, "Evidently you did not. Now, as unopposed as I am to your physical attentions when the moment is appropriate, I must ask that you remain composed."

"_Right…_" said Shinji weakly, not letting her go for a moment before sinking down with his face against the bed, totally deflated.

"Shinji?"

Shinji gave a sharp intake of breath and slid right back to his feet before turning away to mop briefly at his eyes, "Sorry…" he said thickly.

Tevos sat right up, her voice quietening slightly, "Would you like a moment?"

He let out a choked laugh, "You ask _me_ that?" He then shook his head and turned back to face her, his usual smile plastered in place, "I'm fine."

Shinji seemed to steel himself then, as if flicking a switch off in his head, "Right, I need to do some quick tests."

"Tests?"

"No questions, Councillor…" he said, and then grabbed a penlight off the nearby table, "And I'm sorry, I _know_ how annoying this part is."

Tevos seemed to acquiesce without protest, "I was unaware you were medically trained."

"I've had to adapt," he murmured as she allowed him to shine the light in one eye and then the other, "Pupillary responses are fine…"

"I _could_ have told you that."

He smiled, "Of course. Now, keeping your eyes locked with mine, how many fingers?" he asked, holding his hands up on the edge of her field of vision.

Her brow furrowed, "Eight and two thumbs."

Shinji closed his eyes, "Not…on my hands. How many am I holding up?"

"Ah, in that case two on the left, three on the right."

Shinji nodded, as if checking something off in his head, "Right, now remind me: where and how did we meet?"

She frowned, "Excuse me?"

Shinji sighed and reached over to hand her a beaker of cold water, "Drink. And please just answer."

Despite likely being immensely parched, Tevos calmly sipped the liquid, "My office on the Citadel. Despite my objections, you had been apprehended and brought to me. You then took me as a hostage in protest of the Council's actions. It was a most tiresome day." She then inclined her head briefly, "It did have its positive moments however…"

Shinji blushed despite himself before walking over and grabbing a stethoscope, "Now, count to a hundred."

Tevos seemed to try and force patience, "With all respect, that seems immensely tedious."

"In prime numbers only," he then added.

She frowned, "Is there a reason for this?"

"Councillor…"

Only now did Tevos yield into the compulsion to sigh. She then began listing, without missing a beat, "Two, three, five, seven, eleven, thirteen, seventeen, nineteen, twenty-three, twenty-"

"-Okay," cut in Shinji, "I'll… take your word for it." He then breathed onto the chest piece, "Chest please…"

"This is hardly the time…" and again, Shinji just looked at her.

Tevos closed her eyes to try and force her temper down as she shifted, allowing him to press the chest piece to the skin just under her breastbone.

"Breathe…"

Tevos complied.

"No fluid build-up. Nice, very nice…" murmured Shinji before tossing the stethoscope aside while Tevos finished her water, "And well done for being unconscious for so long and _somehow_ coming out of it without a hint of morning breath. Must be an asari thing…"

Tevos crossed her arms, avoiding the IV, and frowned at him once more, "To say you are beginning to try my patience would be an understatement."

"Almost there…" he replied, "just going through the usual motions for people fresh out of a coma…"

"Well that answers one of my queries." She murmured.

"You're probably hungry," said Shinji, unzipping one of the survival packs and tearing opening a pair of paste tubes before setting them down in front of her, "Eat these, _slowly_. You've been nil by mouth for several days."

"Another query answered," she murmured, complying once again.

"And _sorry…_about the taste. I'll never live it down if anyone finds out I had the Asari Councillor reduced to eating rations like a common grunt."

Tevos tried to control her facial reactions. It was, as he said,_ immensely_ bad, "It will suffice." She replied, setting it down half-finished, "Now, are we quite finished?"

"Last thing; just one, you have my word," said Shinji, briefly pausing to manipulate his Omnitool and kill surveillance within the room.

Tevos inclined her head acceptingly and Shinji set an empty beaker down in front of her, "Lift this."

She reached an arm up, only for Shinji to intercept it gently, "_Not_…like that."

Irritation flashed over her expression, "Consort Ikari-"

"-_Councillor_ Tevos," he cut in sternly with a glower, "You have been in a coma for several days and came within mere hours of suffering irreparable brain damage. Your cognitive functions seem to be totally unimpaired and the memory centres of your brain appear to be undamaged also. Now, if you would _please_ be so kind as to confirm the current state of your biotic capabilities."

In response, an understandably irritated Tevos raised her hand up as it began to shimmer with dark energy. The glow didn't stop with her arm however. It quickly engulfed her entire frame.

Shinji staggered back.

Ignoring the beaker entirely, Tevos instead engulfed the entire nearby glassware cabinet in a biotic field and tore it clean off the wall. She then clenched her outstretched hand and compacted it down into a swirling mass of buckled metal and jagged glass before smashing it violently off the opposing wall with a warp blast.

Shinji's head reappeared over the edge of the bed and Tevos looked coldly down upon him, "It would appear my biotics are also unimpaired."

Shinji looked warily at the remains and back, "No need to be petulant, Councillor…"

She narrowed her eyes at him, residual dark flame licking over her skin, "For lack of a better expression: you had it coming. Now will you _please_ remove this from my arm?" she demanded testily, holding up the limb with the still-attached IV.

Shinji inclined his head and carefully slid the violet-coated needle free of Tevos' skin before covering the entry point with a band-aid.

"I'd use Medi-gel, but…" he trailed off at that point and just heaved a long breath, "Are you ready to hear what's happened?"

Tevos inclined her head.

Shinji paced for a moment, "Okay…_Well_, I've got some bad news, and then I've got some good news. However, I've also got some bad, _very_ bad; very, very, _very_ bad news."

Tevos was quiet for a moment as she calmly took time to consume the next ration pack, "I think I will take it in that order, if it's not too much trouble."

Shinji nodded, "_Okay:_ the _bad_ news is that the locals dosed you with a massive blast of animal tranquilizer to keep you sedated."

"Animal tranquilizer?" she muttered, "Well that's rather insulting…"

"My sentiments exactly."

"Were they kind enough to explain their motive for this act?"

Shinji shrugged, "Perhaps they were afraid you might try and kill all humans, conquer the planet, or impregnate them with little baby monsters; I _honestly_ don't know. Safe to say: it was one part abject stupidity and nine parts fear and paranoia brought on by a recent near-apocalypse. To be honest, events probably would've gone much smoother if we'd just shown up at a _slightly_ better moment…part of me almost can't fault Ritsuko for what she did."

Tevos looked off in thought, "You were saying there is actually good news?"

"The _good_ news is that I managed to devise a stimulant to bring you out of it. And thanks to your remarkably strong constitution you seemed to have come through it without any lasting negative effects."

Tevos nodded, "That is something."

Silence fell.

"You want to hear the really bad part now, don't you?"

She nodded calmly.

Shinji took a moment before speaking, "Well let me just start by giving you some idea of the _situation_ we're in as opposed to the actual location."

Tevos inclined her head, "Very well, proceed."

Shinji twiddled his thumbs together, "_Well…_you know my usual method for getting out of uncomfortable situations?"

"You normally appear to try and talk your way out."

Shinji shook his head, "Not that way, Councillor, the _other_ one."

A brief pause, "You slept with the source of the problem?"

Shinji shook his head, "_No, _the mood was never right enough for that either, and trust me: I considered it. No, Councillor I meant I did the…_other _thing."

The pause this time was longer and so much more uncomfortable for Shinji, "You stole a weapon, took hostages, the situation escalated out of control, and now we are under siege?"

Shinji didn't respond.

"_Ah…_" said Tevos, still staying remarkably calm to her credit.

"It gets worse..."

"I presumed it might. I think it is time you revealed the truth of our situation. Shinji Ikari, where are we precisely?"

Shinji didn't speak for a long moment as he started pacing slowly.

When Tevos turned to look at him, he'd stopped with his back to her.

"You should've gotten back when you had the chance…" whispered Shinji, unable to look at her, "Why didn't you _get back_?" he snapped, glaring back at her with moist eyes.

Tevos almost appeared confused by the question, "Because I'm the Asari Councillor," she replied simply, "and unless my sources are in error, you are one of my citizens." She cocked her head, "I stayed by your side, Shinji Ikari, because I was trying to help you."

Shinji's voice was coarse as he slumped forwards, his forehead resting against the wall, "You're far too good for the world you've been dragged into." He took a shuddering breath, "I'm so sorry…"

"Consort Ikari…" said Tevos, her voice becoming quiet.

Shinji looked back to her.

"Come to me," She then said, shifting over slightly.

Shinji looked questioningly at her, "Do as I say…" she commanded in a tone that was as gentle as it was firm.

Shinji complied and approached slowly, sitting down by her. He flinched when he felt her arm about his shoulder though, but she just hushed him gently and drew him slowly up to her side.

Shinji's cheek flushed reflexively when he felt the side of her face brush against his, "Now…" she whispered, her hand tightening slightly, "_Relax_, Shinji Ikari," she breathed, "…and just _embrace eternity._"

Shinji inhaled a sharp gasp as Tevos slipped her nervous system into line with his. He then felt her mind as it slowly, tenderly, embraced itself around his.

He let her think for him from there; to draw up his memories and information as if they were her own.

The systematic and expedient way she went about it was almost a marvel to Shinji. She was pulling up facts, learning about people, linking it with other information then cross-referencing it with unrelenting speed and efficiency. How she was able to work at such a level so soon after waking from a _coma_ staggered the Consort.

Shinji only then began to realize why, in an electronic democracy comprised of billions –where absolutely every asari has both a voice and a say, they picked this one individual as their face for the galactic community.

She was simply their way of saying 'This is us.'

However, even Tevos found herself stumbling somewhat at what she encountered next. As with most melds, there was always the risk of associated emotions being transferred over too, and now she was starting to trace over Shinji's buried emotions from the past few days. She went over everything that he'd done, along with everything that WILLE had forced him to do to keep her alive.

She embraced his resentment and seething anger over what fate had done to him, and how it made him lash out so easily at those around. He'd killed and battered others without mercy and tortured himself to keep moving, all because if he stopped for an instant, Shinji was terrified that he'd be swallowed by the massive void of grief and loss swirling inside of him.

A brief flash of memory came up; the memory of seeing a younger, broken version of himself standing right in front of him.

Tevos realized that was what Shinji feared he was bordering on becoming, and so he'd overcompensated; he'd lashed out; he'd boasted and bragged to ignore what was staring him in the face.

That was when she felt the full shape of the bubble she was threatening to burst: the one surrounding his loss and sorrow.

'Don't!' Came a mental plea from somewhere deep within him, only it didn't sound like the Shinji she knew. It sounded younger, almost childlike.

And so Tevos sent him a brief spike of apology, and then let that bubble burst, setting free the pain inside.

In recompense for his services, she gave him the security to feel his sorrow now in her arms. She unleashed it all in one and let him accept his fear.

"Damn you…" came the choked curse as she made him break down in front of her. Sobs wracked his frame as she brought her arms around him, "God…_damn you._"

"I suppose it is lucky for me," she said quietly, running her fingers through his hair, "that I do not believe in damnation…" a single sympathetic tear escaped the corner of her eye however as she held him to her. But there was no fixing everything, there was no way for her to console him about one thing; about the one he may never see again.

But she also knew that a shard of hope remained, and as much as she needed him to accept his fear, she had to emphasize that hope did indeed still exist.

-α-

To say that it had been a slightly traumatic few days of information for Tevos to assimilate would be an understatement. But what was done was done, and the Councillor had the information she needed now; she knew where they were and also _how_ they'd gotten there.

Shinji was across the room now, forehead resting against the tiled surface again as he spoke, "The breach; the Room of Gauf, it's still open. It's bound to me, but I don't have any idea how we can possibly get home using it. I'm sorry, Tevos, but there's absolutely _nothing_ I can do any more."

Tevos regarded him. She sensed that Shinji had gone after helping her with such devotion because he'd felt that he literally had nothing else left. Saving her had given him purpose.

Now he felt like he was lost once more.

"Do not feel guilty, Shinji. What happened was not your fault. To say I am happy with the situation would be an abject lie, but we have both lost a lot, you more than I."

"I've lost more than you?" he asked, voice still thick as he turned to look at her, "How do you work that out?"

"I have lived a long, rich life, Shinji. I have made many mistakes, had many successes and possibly too many failures; my life has been full. Service to my people as their representative was my repayment for those long days. You still had far too many years left to live for however."

"Misery loves company, I suppose," muttered Shinji.

"Perhaps that is the case," said Tevos "But I have not entirely given up hope. That which is lost can often still be retrieved. There _is_ still hope. You must remember that."

Shinji was silent for a long moment, "…maybe. I suppose the burden of knowledge just got to me," he said, mopping his eyes clear once more, "I know how hard it would be for anything to traverse that void unassisted. It literally obliterated the Leviathan. We only survived because we were encased within an A.T. Field. Anything with any kind of mass that manages to somehow go through would simply be destroyed unless it was shielded in some way."

"And yet there is hope still," said Tevos.

"Hope?" echoed Shinji bitterly, "Hope has rarely been a friend to me, Councillor."

"I suppose not…" she said as an idea started to occur to her, "Now, assist me..." she said, extending a hand out.

"Tevos?" asked Shinji as he assisted her up. She then staggered against his side, and it took a moment for her to find her balance.

"I'm feeling...somewhat unsteady."

"Yes, it might take a moment. You should probably shower and get ready after that. Luckily this section has more than enough places for both people and things to get cleansed. On that note, I've had your clothes cleaned and folded too. They're ready for you when you want to get changed."

"Thank you. And I agree with your suggestion." Her gaze then flicked to him, "Join me."

Shinji blinked, "Ex-excuse me?" he stammered.

For the first time, Shinji caught the barest makings of levity in Tevos' eyes, just the slightest glint of humor. He strongly suspected it was mainly for his sake, though it might have been just a little bit for her too, "I sense my services will soon be in dire need considering the situation outside, and you are still serving as my Consort until Aria reappears, correct?"

Shinji flushed, shifting, "_Technically…_"

"Excellent. Now…" and there came the barest narrowing of the eyes, the subtlest lowering of the voice, "…_attend_ to me."

And just like that; like some final inner switch had been clicked, Shinji's mind refocused as just the slightest glimmer of hope was rekindled. He extended his arm and responded in a voice that Tevos found both pleasingly low and calm, "By all means, Madam Councillor…"

Shinji decided he was done moping around: Tevos had a situation to defuse, and it was time for him to get his head back in the game…

-α-

_To be continued…_

[A/N] Hmm, interesting. What was once one chapter it seems has instead turned out to need 3 to resolve, but then I suppose it was foolish of me to try and resolve such a major series of plot points in just one sitting. Not much in the way of action this one, and was a bit worried about how this would turn out but I'm hoping it didnt disappoint too much, even if I seem to be flipping between extremes here, but bear with me, event though it's just an interim, things are all still going somewhere. Until next time!

Catch you in Chapter 5: Impact II


	5. Chapter 5: Impact II

**Version 1.0 Alpha Edition, corrections by Vandenbz as normal.**

[A/N] Okay, back in the game. Like the last chapter already got the body of the text for this one mostly complete however while I'm still using it as a guide for what scene goes where, this one's just going to be a complete rewrite since I always work better when ideas are free flowing and not hacking and slashing at ten thousand words that I'm not entirely happy with. What else? Ah, yes, if you're allergic to citrus, might want to avoid the opening paragraphs of this one…citrus was a euphemism, I'm not very good at them. And I'm prattling again, so I'll say thank you all for your encouragement to keep going, glad you seem to have as much fun reading as I do writing. Onwards!

**Chapter 5: Impact II**

"How are you feeling?" asked Shinji, his tone perfectly content and calm now. The heat of the decontamination showers bordered on searing and the extractors weren't what he'd call close to being sufficient, but he liked it that way. It reminded him of a good time from his past. It also gave the world a dreamlike quality as the heat scorched away the exertion and grime that he'd built up over the past few days.

He was starting to feel human once more.

"My strength returns," said Tevos casually, her back to him. The antibacterial soap was harsh and not up to the standards she was accustomed to, but like the rations it did its job, "And what of you?"

"Me?" asked Shinji with a blink, glancing back at her. His eyes lingered for just a moment longer than needed. She seemed to sense it however and shifted her head about to look at him, eyes narrowing.

He looked quickly away, "Muscles are a bit sore, but I've had worse."

Tevos returned her attention ahead, "I was not talking about your body."

A moment passed.

"Tense…" he finally replied. However it was that moment of silence; of hesitation, that confirmed to the asari councillor the current state of the Consort's emotional wellbeing. He continued talking even as Tevos turned silently about, allowing the water to rinse the lather from her body as she watched him openly in quiet, "I know what's waiting out there." He said, looking dead ahead with a distant stare, "You have no idea how much anger and resentment will be seething among them by now. I just can't _think_ how you could possibly a…_ah_-" Shinji trailed off into a gasp as he felt Tevos' fingertips come into contact with his flesh. It was just two of them at first, drifting the ghost of a touch up the middle of his spinal column, "C-councillor, w-what I mean is-"

"-Leave the situation outside," she whispered, continuing the drifting tease of her caress, "in my…_hands,_" she breathed, and Shinji felt her hands flatten over the surface of his back and then slip slowly around his sides until she'd encircled his entire midsection.

Tevos felt the tension in all of Shinji's subtly toned muscles as he froze rigid. His eyes then lulled closed as she leaned closer and he felt the soft swell of her chest against his back.

It felt to Shinji as though she were molding herself against him as her hands slowly, casually, drifted up and down his chest, teasing lower each time until she was exciting him in a far more direct manner.

She stood holding him like that for a moment in silence, her chin resting in the nape of his neck. No further words were needed. The outside world could wait for just a little while.

Shinji's brow twitched when he felt Tevos' fingers brush against his chin, and she tilted his head around slowly as she leaned even closer, drawing him about until she had him pinned back against the wall with her chest and shoulder. She then braced herself with one hand against the flat surface and hooked her thigh slowly up and about his.

"Just, for now…" she whispered, the heat of her breath against his lips only adding to the atmosphere, "_give yourself_… to me, " She then slowly sealed her lips to his and began a lazy dance with his tongue as he yielded to her ministrations completely. Her other hand went above his other shoulder now, pressing him back against the wall with her full form as she adjusted her hips slightly.

Shinji let out a muffled groan. The subtly coarse texture of her skin against his was nothing short of tantalising. His hand went down to grip her lower back, digging two fingers into the sensitive spot there. His other captured the swell of one breast and manipulated the already engorged nub between his soaped fingers. His reward was a deep, throaty purr of pleasure that travelled from the depths of the councillor's throat and seemingly right through him.

She was dominating entirely, but Shinji felt like yielding. His spirit was utterly exhausted, and as she lowered her hips, tightening the grip with her thigh to draw him up inside of her, she slipped her mind right into his, and Shinji simply let her help restore him in a different way; in the way he needed most at that moment.

-α-

_Coincidentally_, a few moments prior…

"What is it?" asked Misato, walking into the situation room where Mari waited with some of the bridge staff. Makoto and Aoba were busy liaising with security, while Koji Takao appeared to be in the midst of sending instructions to engineering.

"She's awake," said Mari, "Councillor Tevos has woken up."

Misato stepped forward and looked down at the blank display, "No image?"

Mari shook her head and then sat down at the console built into the table, "No. He's locked us out of surveillance for the main ward room."

Misato nodded and began to turn away, "Very well. Well let me know when-"

"-However, "cut in Mari, drawing the Captain to a halt, "Motion sensors in an adjoining room have picked up movement. They seem to have changed locations."

"I thought you said he took surveillance down."

Mari nodded, "He did…in that room, but Shinji seems to have neglected to notice that the quarantine section is built into several independent blocks, each with isolated security systems. _And_, because it's a quarantine area, every single area has both cameras _and_ dedicated intercom systems. _Therefore_…" she said, tapping away at the controls rapidly with a smirk on her face "if we're lucky, we might just get picture _and_ sound when they pass through. I'll see if I can feed it through to the wall monitor…"

Misato nodded, "Okay then. We may as well see what they're…"

Her voice died however as an image of a steam-filled shower room filled the display. They were both _there_ alright, back to back, and absolutely stark naked on top of that.

Misato coughed.

"Shower scene, _score_!" cried Mari, and Misato could only shake her head.

An abject, uncomfortable silence descended.

"Now _that_ is a mighty fine behind," commented Mari as she looked on, "…Shinji's is pretty nice too."

Every eye in the room turned to look at her.

Mari frowned, "_What?"_

Misato turned her eyes away from the screen.

She was however, the only one to do so.

Light flooded the darkened room as Asuka entered with coffee in hand and Sakura by her side, "Sorry we're late, transit's still acting up. What'd we miss?"

Sakura stopped dead and let out an involuntary squeak of surprise.

Asuka took one look ahead and promptly inhaled an entire mouth full of coffee, doubling over as she spluttered.

"Hey, Shikinami!" called Mari happily, pointing at the screen, "Look what we found!"

Asuka dabbed at her mouth and nose as Sakura gripped her beret tightly in both hands, "Wh-what the hell is this?" demanded the Second Child.

Mari shrugged and just sat back in her chair, hands behind her head, "_Surveillance._"

Like Misato, both Asuka and Sakura immediately did their best to not look at the screen.

"Ooh, was he stealing glances?" commented Mari, grinning from ear to ear. Koji by now had completely lost interest in his own work too, nodding in agreement, "Oh, I would kill for some popcorn right about now…"

Misato was half-turned away, listening as Shinji described his physical condition.

Then Tevos spoke, and that drew her attention to the screen again. Whatever she'd said was in a completely alien language. The undertones however had a soft, almost melodic quality, instantly catching everyone's attention.

"So, her language is alien too…" said Aoba who, like Hyuuga, was rather unashamedly scrutinising the asari from their sidelong view, "He seems to understand her though."

Misato frowned as Shinji described his concerns about what he thought would be occurring outside. She mused on the fact that they were taking time to worry about coming to a peaceful settlement, "She also seems to have no trouble understanding him either." She noted.

Asuka turned pointedly away, arms folded. Her rebellious eye however was flicking back repeatedly even as she scoffed, "So what. They're just talking in the shower. I mean, it's not like the idiot would have the guts to actually _do_ anything."

"Hmm, she's got her eye on him though," said Mari, legs swaying happily back and forward.

"_What_?" snapped Asuka, swinging back around again. And indeed: Tevos had turned about and was openly eyeing Shinji from behind.

"Hmmm, I know that look." said Mari, smirking, "That's the look of a woman who sees something she wants," and her eyes went saucer wide as Tevos reached a hand slowly up and began a gentle touch up and down his back, "No _way!_" she squeaked, hands over her mouth.

Asuka's jaw dropped fully.

Tevos slid over and embraced him from behind.

Mari by now was in full-on joy mode, "Is she _really_ going to…" she trailed off as things progressed and she then proceeded to give out what could only be described as a full-on squee, "She _is_!"

Koiji chuckled, "Heh, heh, interesting..."

Mari smirked and glanced at Asuka, cocking her head to the screen, "Shinji might not have the guts, but Madam Ambassador sure seems to know _exactly_ what it is she wants."

Koji nodded.

Even Misato could only gape at what had suddenly started occurring. Her brain had quite literally stalled.

Sakura had her face hidden behind her beret as Asuka sputtered, "Wh-wh-what the hell is this?" she shrieked, stabbing a finger at the screen.

Mari nodded at the screen again, briefly reverting to her native language, "_Well_, it would appear that Shinji's about to boldly go, but give him a while, and I'm sure he'll boldly-"

"-_Mari_!" cut in Asuka who then looked incredulously about, "Why in the hell are we even still _watching this_?"

Nobody had an answer.

"_Hello_," chimed Mari as things went up an octave before turning back to Asuka "Well, Princess…" she offered, "You never know: what if sex with aliens gives you superpowers? That could be a serious security threat, and we'd never even know how it happened. Besides, this is an important historical moment."

"Is that the excuse you're using?" demanded Asuka, who gaped at the screen again before turning away.

"It is, but I'll record it all…just in case," she said, and then leaned forward to slip one of her memory cards into the port under the console.

"What's up with her eyes, you suppose?" mused Aoba, stroking his goatee.

"I don't know…" said Koiji, mimicking his posture.

Mari frowned at Sakura, "And what's your problem? What kind of medical professional is afraid of seeing people in the buff? Shouldn't you be studying this or something?"

Sakura just opened and closed her mouth, unable to respond.

"Okay!" snapped Asuka, reaching over to touch the control panel, "That's enough of…enough of that!" she stammered, killing the video but still blushing furiously.

Misato felt she had no other choice but to end things there, "Just…inform me if either of them emerges from that section." And then she just walked out, shaking her head.

Misato wasn't sure if that had been some genius alien ploy to throw her off her game, but if it was, it had come dangerously close to succeeding.

-α-

Ritsuko found Misato a little while later on the lower level of the bridge, looking out over the open sky and sipping slowly on her coffee.

"So, is it true?" asked Ritsuko.

Misato inclined her head, not needing clarification, "Yes, it looks like whatever Shinji did worked. The Councillor is awake."

Ritsuko hesitated before speaking, "Do we know what her status is?"

Misato's gaze flicked briefly to her and away again, "Up and…" she paused for just the briefest of instances before continuing, "…_seemingly_ active enough."

Ritsuko nodded, "So, what happens now?"

"What happens next in their hands. We just need to wait until-"

"-Misato Katsuragi…" the voice cut through the conversation from every direction at once. Both officers swung about, eyes alert.

The voice had been female, clearly, but it was not one either of them recognised. The Japanese was slightly accented with an undertone neither could quite place, yet it was still perfectly flawless.

Misato looked about with a frown, "Who is this?"

"This is Councillor Tevos; Ambassador and representative of the Asari Republics and incumbent member of the Citadel Council. Am I correct in assuming that I am addressing Misato Katsuragi?"

Looks were exchanged. Neither quite knew how to respond for a second.

Misato looked off to the side, "This is Katsuragi. Councillor, I'd just-"

"-If it is not too much trouble," interjected Tevos as politely as possible, "would you be so kind as to report to the blockade outside of the quarantine section at your earliest possible convenience. That is all." The statement was followed a click, and all went silent again.

Regardless of how polite and cordial the request had been phrased, it somehow didn't come across as having any option of rejection.

Ritsuko looked to Misato, who was at that point just praying she could find some way to stop them from doing that with her comm system.

Misato passed her coffee cup to Ritsuko and then left without another word.

It had of course occurred to Misato that, while she was supposedly the captain, she'd effectively just permitted herself to be ordered from her own bridge and to another part of her own ship. But this was not the time for ego.

No, this was the time to negotiate...

-α-

When Misato departed the transit car, she could see the that backs of the security forces packed claustrophobically into the foyer were absolutely rigid. They'd constructed platforms near the back of the hall to get safe clearance should they need to cut loose with personal bazookas or rocket propelled grenades.

The snipers just in front of the platforms had their eyes focused behind their scopes. Fingers were coiled and at the ready around the triggers.

Misato strode past all of them. Despite orders to the contrary, Misato saw that Asuka was already there. She wasn't hiding out on the side-lines either. No, she was right out in front of them all, and by a good few feet at that, arms folded and defiant.

Asuka stood there, coat draped over her plug suit as normal with her hat propped atop her ever-present A-10 connectors. She seemed to be engaged in a silent stare-off with the one standing before her.

Misato knew now why security seemed so particularly tense.

Shinji stood before the sealed door with his hands resting calmly in his pockets. Whereas Asuka was scowling, Shinji seemed to be quite at peace.

Misato walked up to Asuka's side, "Has he said anything?"

Asuka gave a slight grunt and looked away, "Besides 'Good Morning, Asuka. _Nice hat_'? No."

"What is up with the hats?" asked Shinji, speaking up suddenly, "Does Ayanami have a silly hat too? Because that would just be adorable…"

"Well he seems…peaceful," murmured Misato, noticing the bizarrely serene air that seemed to resonate around Shinji. It was a sharp contrast to the tense air of hostility that he'd been putting out up until now.

Her eyes narrowed at him, "How can you be looking like that, considering what you did?"

Shinji turned his attention to Misato and his expression quickly darkened, "What _I_ did?" he echoed, and Misato shifted uncomfortably.

Shinji took a step to one side, the security forces tensing as he began drifting back and forth, "Do not presume to lecture me. You're the one who forced me to engage in what was nothing short of an all-out massacre. I tried talking, _repeatedly._ I would've gotten down on my knees and begged if I hadn't been running the risk of not having enough strength to get up again. I'm content that there was no other choice but to either let Tevos die or shoot to kill if not allowed to freely pass. I _tried_ for a peaceful solution, but you made me go all or nothing; I chose to go all in, and you lost as a result."

Shinji raised his index finger and the guards tensed again, only for him to bring it about and point it smoothly toward where his younger self stood off to one side with Ayanami by him, "I am not like him. I do not _let_ people use me as a dumping ground for their guilt over their own failures and inability to correctly manage situations."

"What do you mean by that?" he heard his younger self ask quietly.

"Like I said before," said the Consort, keeping his eyes on Misato, "I will get to you in good time."

He returned his attention fully to Misato, "Only you could have altered the outcome yesterday; you chose not to. If you or your crew have any issues with what happened, then I suggest you learn to deal with them. The sad thing is: I'm not actually upset over the fact that you ordered your men to open fire on me. The thing I cannot forgive is that you of all people forced me to needlessly extinguish human life. What happened yesterday was a staggering waste, and nothing short of an absolute tragedy. That is the only regret I have."

Misato went silent.

"Now justify yourself," said Shinji his voice cold and hard.

"_What?_" breathed Misato with disbelief.

"Why did you give that order? I offered a peaceful solution, you rejected it. I know you well enough to predict the answer, but you're going to say it anyway."

Misato gritted her teeth and looked away, "You were a threat."

"You know any version of me well enough to know that I have no desire to be hostile. I only wanted to help the person you hurt."

"I know that much. You were a threat because you had technology that could've crippled our entire organisation and destroy our efforts against NERV should you simply choose it. Just because it was your whim not to hold us all hostage, that doesn't mean I could just let that situation happen regardless."

"Regardless of me having absolutely no motivation to do so? You think I want _command _of you and your ragtag band of misfits?"

"I know you considered us hostile," responded Misato, "I had to assume therefore that you might want to take precautions which we would consider unacceptable. I had to secure the threat that your technology posed."

"Paranoia again…" muttered Shinji with disgust, looking away, "It's the Citadel Council all over again." He returned his attention quickly back to her however, "And like I said: you gambled; you thought my confidence was a bluff."

Again Misato looked away, "I thought that…if I presented you with a situation that you couldn't possibly get out of then you would just surrender rather than needlessly throw your life away…_or_…"

A sardonic smile pulled at Shinji's face, "_Or_, you thought that even if I had the advantage, I would rather surrender than kill any of your people." He cocked his head, "You were trying to hold me hostage using my own morals."

Misato didn't meet his eyes.

"But you made one critical mistake, didn't you?" again, no response, "And you probably knew it even before I opened fire. You forgot that, while I might have indeed surrendered if it were just me that I was fighting for, it _wasn't_ just me I was fighting for in that instance, was it? Your last chance therefore was that I didn't hold the tactical advantage, but…"

"…You did." finished Misato with a whisper, still not looking at him.

Shinji looked at her dead-on, "You were in the wrong. You let that paranoia –and probably bad advice too— influence your judgement. As a result, twenty-six men now lie dead. Like I said: I didn't do that…you did."

A long moment passed.

"I'm aware of that…" she finally said.

Shinji's brow twitched with mild surprise, and his shoulders sagged as he relented, "Then perhaps you're not completely beyond hope after all." he said, just as the doors began opening behind him, "And for what little it's worth, regardless of fault: I'm aware that what I did yesterday was wrong by its very nature too…"

Shinji let out a weary sigh, "And there goes my afterglow buzz. The day started so well…"

The guards tensed, and Shinji arched his head around to glance behind him. His collar shifted at the movement, briefly exposing to Misato's gaze what appeared to be a line of four scratches down the side of his neck before he turned his head forward again.

Shinji caught her looking, but there was no reaction on his part. Instead, he just looked away and stepped aside, revealing the piercing gaze of the asari matriarch waiting directly behind him.

Misato froze.

Shinji drifted off to one side to stand by the window, his eyes going up to the sky. Meanwhile, Tevos stood alone and unthreatened directly across from Misato Katsuragi and her forces.

Misato noted that the appearance of the alien had a bizarre effect on those around her. The men had briefly flinched when she'd first appeared, but then, after a pause, they seemed to lower their arms briefly, just enough to look at her atop their sights.

Misato couldn't really fault them for their reaction. Ignoring the fact that this was likely the first time that any of them had actually seen an alien face to face (and indeed, she would question the judgement of putting a gun in their hand if they claimed otherwise), the person who stood before them now just seemed to radiate the most intense air of authority she'd ever been exposed to. The asari had the stature of someone who was obviously used to commanding respect with her mere presence alone. There also came with it the most bizarre sense of wrongness over pointing a weapon at her with any real intent to use it.

"Councillor Tevos…" said Misato.

She inclined her head politely, "Captain Katsuragi, I presume."

She nodded in confirmation and then briefly searched for something to say, "How are you feeling?"

"Well rested_, _to say the least," She replied, before adding curtly, "Thank you for your concern."

Misato looked away, "Y-yes…" she said with clear discomfort, choosing to stay cordial for now before moving onto pressing matters, "I must say, your command of our language is very impressive."

"Thank you." She responded, "I must admit however that I have only had time to become fluent in eleven of your planet's native languages. My duties tend to leave me with only small amounts of time for personal study."

"Only eleven, you say?"

"I would say twelve, but my Vietnamese is still somewhat…_stiff_ in terms of my pronunciation."

"Well nobody's perfect…" muttered Misato, who could only count herself as a master of one language, not unless broken English and scatterings of German counted too.

Tevos interlaced her fingers in front of her, "I have been informed there have been several…immensely regrettable escalations since I was incapacitated at your hands."

Misato's eyes flicked to Shinji as he continued looking up at the sky. He actually appeared to be completely disinterested in the proceedings now, "You've been informed correctly."

Tevos nodded, "Quite. From what I have interpreted, it would seem that mistakes have indeed been made on both sides. It is unfortunate that tensions have escalated to the degree that they have."

"Very unfortunate. You are aware of what he did, yes?"

Tevos nodded, "Yes. The loss of life was immensely regrettable." She glanced to Shinji, "Were you discussing the matter prior to my arrival?"

Misato's eyes flicked to Shinji's back again, "Briefly."

Tevos inclined her head, "I see. And was any consensus reached?"

Misato nodded, "We agreed that the incident was wrong and that it should not have occurred in the first place, yes."

Tevos nodded ponderingly, "An important step. The First Contact War had started due to similar problems: Lack of trust; a little too much caution and not enough faith; the almost universal fear of the unknown. It took six months for both the human and turian delegations to finally admit that wrongdoing had occurred on both sides. The fact that you have done so in as many minutes I find to be most impressive."

Misato narrowed her eyes, curiosity briefly spiking in her, "Six months? Then how did you stop the violence in the interim?"

Tevos probably would've shrugged if she were the sort to do so, "It was a simple matter of maneuvering a few of our capital ships into strategic positions in order to prevent the passage of reinforcements through the Mass Relays and into the combat zones."

Misato frowned, "You stopped them from fighting by parking your fleet in the way?"

Tevos inclined her head, "It was a simple, yet effective strategy. I was rather proud of that one."

"And what stands between us now?" asked Misato, "I do hope you are not intending to use yourself as a barrier."

"One would hope," responded Tevos, "that a sense of reason, reinforced by a yearning to prevent recent events repeating themselves would negate the need for an act of martyrdom on my part."

"A sentiment I agree with, but when I asked about what stood between us, I was thinking on a more tactical level."

"You wish to see what hidden threats are in play on our side?" queried Tevos.

Misato nodded her head, "We at least have made our stance visible."

"I carry no weapons," said Tevos, "but then it probably wouldn't surprise you to hear that I rarely have a need for such things."

Misato turned her head to look at Shinji and then back again.

Tevos inclined her head, "Very well. As a gesture of faith, it shall be our side that makes the first concession." She inclined her head to the right, "Consort Ikari, if you please…"

Shinji bowed his head and turned about. Gun barrels followed him as he approached the pair.

He turned to Misato and began to take a step forward, "That's close enough!" came a barked order from somewhere behind her. Shinji glanced down at the laser sights trailing over his chest and neck. He held his hands briefly up to show acquiescence.

Gun barrels tensed again as Shinji reached into his coat and withdrew a series of belts containing glowing red and black cylinders.

Shinji draped them over his lower arm and then held it out towards Misato.

The captain frowned and looked down, "And what's this?"

Tevos spoke, "I ordered Consort Ikari to recycle his combat modules back into Omni-gel and then exhaust his reserves. Therefore, what you see before you represents both his entire store of thermal clips as well as his Omni-gel. Shinji…" she prompted.

Shinji sighed and then reached behind his back, revealing his weapon _very_ slowly. He then clicked the top to reveal the empty clip slot. "If you want to frisk me," he sighed, "You'll find I've got none to spare." He then tapped his Omnitool, revealing the display which did indeed indicate his exhausted reserves.

Misato frowned, "As you can see," said Shinji, "I'm all out. And even if I had the skill to hardwire my gun to fire without a heat sink, it would probably blow my arm clean off before it even finished converting part of the ammo block into a shot." He then glanced out the corner of his eye at Tevos as he replaced his weapon behind his back, murmuring, "Hope you're right about this…"

"If I am not then I suspect we will not have long to complain."

Misato took the offered bandoleers and then passed them back to Asuka, "And his sidearm?" she asked.

"It is harmless now," said Tevos, "and it represents nothing more than an artefact of some sentimental value to Consort Ikari.

"However, if you are you saying that there is a peaceful reason you want the weapon that goes with those thermal clips, then I would be most willing to hear it out."

"Well there _is _the fact that it's the only weapon on this ship capable of getting through your defensive barriers."

"Incorrect," said Tevos, "A cursory glance around shows numerous different weapons capable of inflicting serious injury or even death against someone protected by a kinetic barrier. Surely you would at least however spare us our only line of defence. We have already surrendered our entire material offensive capability into your hands."

"And why would you trust me with all this?" asked Misato both curious and cautious.

Tevos glanced back at Shinji, "Though he would not admit it, Consort Ikari still has faith in you. Or at the very least in a person who looked very much like you."

"Councillor…" mumbled Shinji with a scowl, realising she'd been a bit too close with her inspection of his memories.

"And how would _you_ know that?" asked Misato.

Tevos merely inclined her head, "I have my methods."

"You're neglecting to mention that if we allow you to keep your…Omnitools, you still retain the ability to access this ship's systems."

"And as _I_ have said," Countered Tevos, "You still retain the ability to terminate both of us should any treachery take place. We, on the other hand, no longer have the capacity to retaliate with any effective measure."

Misato glanced back at the thermal clips, "And if we utilise those alone to enhance our own technology?"

"Improbable," said Tevos, "I am neither a weapons expert nor an engineer, but even I can inform you that each thermal clip contains only a macroscopic amount of element zero; a substance that forms the very basis for all our technology, and for which it is entirely useless without. Without a readied and continuous source of this element, any serious research and development would be virtually impossible. It would also be entirely pointless considering you would be unable to actually manufacture the end result.

"Put simply, Captain Katsuragi: without element zero, having our technology in your hands is entirely pointless in strategic terms beyond merely ensuring that we do not use it against you."

Shinji thought on it and agreed with the Councillor: a single pistol and a few isograms of Eezo would be worthless to them since the entire principal of the technology –The Mass Effect Field, is based around an element which may not even occur naturally in their universe.

Tevos continued speaking, "And without an extensive back catalogue of Earth computer technology and software from now up until our time period with which to bridge the generational gap, both of our Omnitools would, again, prove entirely useless to you beyond their use as individual units."

"We could still use them against our enemies…" commented Misato.

"Then you would be asking me to provide you with advanced technology for which you freely admit you have the intention of turning against your own species."

Misato's brow clenched into a scowl, "Our cause is just. We are _trying_ to ensure the salvation of our race."

"And if I were to ask the same of your adversary…_Commander_ Ikari?" she asked, glancing at Shinji for confirmation, who nodded, "Would he not give an equally impassioned plea?"

Misato didn't respond. Gendo Ikari wouldn't give a passionate plea. If anything his tone would be quite the contrary. However that didn't mean it wouldn't be equally if not more convincing.

"And could you then swear to me, Captain" continued Tevos, "without pause or hesitation, that after your enemy was defeated, the technology given to you would not then be used in some way to ensure your security against perhaps even your own allies?"

Misato shook her head, "I could not promise such a thing."

"Then I would kindly ask that in future you refrain from asking me to violate my own personal and sociological ethics."

There was a brief silence between them, and both were startled when Shinji spoke up, "May I speak, Councillor?"

Tevos inclined her head in acknowledgement.

"What if I turn over _my_ Omnitool –In lockdown mode of course," said Shinji, who began punching commands in, "That way-"

"-No." cut in Misato.

Shinji blinked, and even Tevos seemed startled, "Misato-san?"

"Keep the device. And I will hold you to your word. Just know what will happen if we lose so much as a single _system_ under suspicious circumstances, the same if there is any unknown access to our secure files."

"A-are you sure, I mean-"

"-Shinji…" cut in Tevos quietly, seeming to have grasped what Misato was really getting at. They were both looking at him in silence now, and it took Shinji a second to grasp it too: Misato wasn't letting him keep his Omnitool for her sake, nor was it for the benefit of her organisation.

Shinji focused on his peripheral vision. Surrounding him were dozens of men, fingers primed to end his life. Most of them were all perfectly composed in their professionalism; poised for the order should it come. But then there were the few; some who seemed to be looking at him down their scopes just a bit _too_ intently; some whose fingers were twitching just that little more than the others.

Some out there wanted him dead, _dearly_, and that wouldn't change no matter what Misato ended up hashing out with Tevos. Even decades after the First Contact War, relations between the turians and the Alliance could still be described as frosty due to lingering resentment. However, this wasn't decades, this was the next day; this was still the rawest of raw wounds. Shinji had probably killed some that the men out there called friends.

No matter what happened next, Shinji knew that he might have to sleep with one eye open, regardless of whether or not it was all one big mistake.

And there was another reason he missed Aria so: She was such a wonderfully light sleeper.

'Caught in a hostile environment, surrounded by possible assassins?' contemplated Shinji as he drifted back towards the window again, 'Just like home…'

Shinji was just glad that it was Misato in charge. If WILLE had been a democracy, then he strongly suspected public opinion would not be in his favour. Thankfully, WILLE was not such an organisation, and if Misato decided there would be peace between them, then that would simply be that.

Shinji stopped and glanced back over his shoulder. His eye twitched as laser points danced over his retina, and he fought the urge to double-check his barrier. Hatred was a powerful thing, and he knew that orders and regulations alone wouldn't deter someone if they were truly motivated.

Shinji took a calming breath and tried to distance himself from the situation, focusing his attention instead on the still-open Room of Gauf in the distance, speaking back without turning, "Do you require any further assistance, Councillor?"

Tevos tilted her head around to look at him again, "No, Consort Ikari. Your services have been noted and…much appreciated. I will handle matters from here."

"As you wish," he responded, willingly relegating himself to attendant now. It was so much easier a job, after all.

Some of the guards tensed when Shinji brought up his Omnitool and then began doing some short range scans. He confirmed that they were maintaining a circular course some seventy-five miles off of the south-east coast of Okinawa.

'So…' he contemplated, 'We're staying within range of NERV Headquarters, are we?'

Without another word, Shinji walked off to the side and opened the exterior door leading to the gantries outside.

Alerted, Misato turned toward the opening door while weapons rose up in readiness to fire. With a frown however, the Captain just raised her hand and they lowered them back down again.

Misato spared her security forces a brief glance. She could almost feel the tension and aggression simmering amongst them, but she also had to accept that what was done was done, and that she had to try and steer things forward from here. Vengeance for the sake of vengeance was meaningless, and being consumed with such thoughts and goals could only detract from their chances of stopping NERV. She knew that if they allowed themselves to be ruled by such childish emotions, they may as well just surrender to Gendo Ikari now.

"I suspect Consort Ikari is merely in need of some air," said Tevos calmly as Shinji drifted outside and then up to the guardrails to get a slightly better look, "I understand the feeling."

"Why did Shinji agree to deplete his…Omni-gel reserves?" asked Misato, "Why did he even agree to turn all that over to us?"

Tevos continued to regard Shinji, "Because I recommended it."

"You?" asked Misato.

Tevos inclined her head in response.

"And why would he listen to you?"

Tevos paced a few steps back and forth, fingers interlaced behind her back now as she spoke, "I am the asari representative. And as one of my citizens, Shinji is technically my subordinate in this scenario, and as such he has chosen to defer to my judgement." She stopped, narrowing her eyes at him slightly, "Consort Ikari seems to respect authority, but only once it has been earned in his eyes. He is not one with whom respect is simply commanded."

"You said he's one of _your _citizens?"

Tevos nodded, "Officially speaking, yes, although his actual residence is quite far outside of asari territory. He apparently passed the citizenship test with…frankly startling ease. Though I suspect that may have had been in no small part due to the influence of a certain someone…kindly do not quote me on that however." She then paused briefly, still regarding him, "He stayed true to his beliefs and endured alone with what he considered to be no hope. Aria would've been proud of how he has handled himself."

"Aria?"

"You are saying that the name Aria T'Loak has not come up between you?" she asked, seeming briefly startled.

"Not that I recall."

The councillor frowned slightly, "He has not mentioned her…" she mused, looking briefly toward Shinji once more, "I suppose that's hardly surprising, when all things are considered."

"Who is Aria?" and to Tevos' mild interest, it was actually Asuka who posed the question. The EVA pilot's intuition had been spiked.

"Shinji is very timid and unassuming during his everyday life, at least from what I have seen," said Tevos, obviously not electing to outright answer the query, "It is as if he is content to simply let the galaxy drift on by just so long as it leaves him in peace."

"I suppose that's the idiot's default mode, yes," mumbled Asuka.

"Then did it not occur to you to ask why he has seemed so full of rage, pain and resentment since he first arrived in this place?"

Asuka shrugged, "He didn't want to fight a war he's already fought, who would? I mean even I-"

"-Consort Ikari was engaged to be married."

Asuka's voice died.

That, she had not been expecting.

Both she and Misato turned to look toward Shinji in time as he leaned out over the side, peering into the swirling light in the distance. It was as if they were seeing something about him for the first time.

Tevos seemed intrigued by the reaction. Both of them quite literally did not know what to say.

Asuka seemed to try and laugh, "H-hah, really? Shinji? B-but that's not…I mean he…he and you-" she bit the end off of her own sentence, much to Tevos' confusion.

Asuka blinked and shook her head as if to clear it, "Shinji was going to get married? That idiot popped the question?"

"Strictly speaking, he was going to be a bondmate, but I chose to use the equivalent human expression, although we asari do not have a term for divorce. Make of that what you will."

Asuka tried to find some words, but Tevos cut into her thoughts before she could speak again, "But enough of this. I merely wished to offer you some insight as to why he has acted the way that he has."

"Are asari…_attitudes_ different to our own?" asked Misato despite herself.

Tevos cocked her head, "Attitudes toward what?"

"Never mind," said Misato, "Forget I asked."

"As you wish…"

"But you keep calling him that," said Misato quietly, "You keep calling him…_Consort_ Ikari. What does that mean exactly?"

Tevos almost seemed to smile, as if mildly amused by the query, "An unofficial title, yet one that is respected nonetheless. In Citadel space it belongs to the one who caters to the needs of those who can afford it: most often persons of influence and power. You might say that the Citadel Consort is a force that helps to maintain balance and serenity by granting her attention to those who have earned it either by influence, deed, or simply by working hard enough to pay her fee. She is in essence a stabilising factor in Citadel Space."

Tevos turned her eyes toward Shinji again, "The Shadow Consort, as Shinji is informally known to some, caters primarily to the needs of the one; the one person whose influence is all that truly matters in the entirety of the Terminus Systems. He is a force that extends serenity and peace in the darkest of places, toward both that one person and to those around her who may need it. He essentially works to maintain the very fragile balance of order that exists in that very dark corner of the galaxy. And in rare exceptions, he offers his services to those who have acquired the rather special fee he charges for his attentions."

"His _fee_?" asked Asuka.

Tevos nodded, "The Citadel Consort's services can be purchased through credits alone if necessary. The Shadow Consort however appears to trade only in favours owed."

"And what kind of currency is that?" scoffed Asuka.

"In high circles?" said Tevos, "possibly the most valuable of all, and as elusive and difficult to grasp as an actual shadow."

"So, you're saying Shinji is providing…services to you?" asked Misato.

Tevos inclined her head, "In an unofficial sense, yes."

Hidden behind her glasses, Misato's eyes narrowed with suspicion, "And what services does he provide?"

"He seems to have taken it upon himself to assume the role of my protector in this instance."

"Is that all?" asked Misato, and Tevos detected the slightest, barely perceptible edge in her voice. The councillor suspected that Misato herself was unaware of it.

"Apparently, he was also forced to take on the role of my physician; a role he performed with startling skill I must say, regardless of his supposed lack of training."

Misato was silent for a second. She should be getting onto more pressing matters but, "Anything else?"

Tevos was as stoic as a rock, "What else of relevance could there be?"

"Nothing," said Misato, "Though I am glad you've managed to remain so calm despite the situation you found yourself waking up in."

Tevos nodded, "I will admit that I did have a somewhat distressing start to the day. However, with thanks once more to Consort Ikari, I am finding myself in a very relaxed mind-set."

Asuka frowned, "What is she talking about?" she whispered.

Misato just looked at the asari, "_services._" She replied simply to Asuka.

It seemed to take a second to sink in with the Second Child, whose only visible eye widened. She hummed, as if wanting to make a point, and then held a finger up, "Excuse me for a minute…" she then executed a perfect ninety degree turn and proceeded to march out the door which the elder Shinji had left through. Tevos spared her a curious glance before going right back to her discussion.

-α-

"Hey, idiot!"

Shinji rolled his eyes and pushed back from the railings, "I really shouldn't respond to that, but what?"

Asuka had her mouth open, as if wanting to speak but not quite sure where to begin. She decided to try feigning ignorance, "Did you…did you and that alien…" she stammered.

Shinji frowned, "Did we what?"

She blushed, "Did you…" she then just rolled her eyes and then asked outright, "Did you or did you _not_ screw that space alien in there?"

Shinji blinked. He then looked to Tevos through the window and then back at Asuka again, "Once or twice, why?"

Asuka blanched at how nonchalant he was about it, "b-but...she's a…and you're a…she said you were engaged!"

Shinji nodded, as if genuinely confused by her conundrum, "I…am…it's also more often than not Aria's idea. Again, what's your point?"

Asuka just opened and closed her mouth as she tried to find adequate words. Shinji returned to his vigil.

Suddenly, his hands gripped the rails harder and he rolled his eyes, "_Damn it!_" He snapped.

"W-what?"

"The showers…" he said, turning about to find Asuka looking very nervous, "There were cameras in the showers, weren't there?"

"Umm..."

Shinji resisted the urge to slap himself in the face and then just swung about and strode wordlessly past Asuka, back inside and right up to Tevos' side.

"Problem?" asked the Councillor, and she leaned her head closer as Shinji leaned in to whisper.

Asuka could only look about nervously as Shinji whispered to her, stabbing a thumb over his own shoulder at a camera on the wall and then off toward the quarantine section door.

Tevos blinked, "_Ah…_"

Misato shifted, rightly suspecting what he was informing her about.

Shinji pulled away and walked off once more, "Just thought you should know…" he grumbled as he left with Asuka trailing along behind him.

Tevos frowned in thought, "Hmm. Well…that is…mildly embarrassing. However I am glad to at least have some context for your earlier queries."

Misato just looked away, coughing once nervously.

"Are my personal sexual preferences considered a matter of importance?" enquired Tevos, effectively flipping the embarrassment in the situation completely about.

"They are not."

"Then I will consider this matter irrelevant. May we drop it?"

"I would be most grateful if we could…" replied Misato.

-α-

"B-but she's an alien!" snapped Asuka, stabbing a finger, "Y-you just…you had _sex_ with an alien!"

"Even with just one eye your powers of observation remain astounding, Asuka..." murmured Shinji with disinterest as he kept focus on the anomaly in the distance, "but yes: sex with aliens, tends to happen a lot actually."

"A-and this Aria?" she asked.

Shinji's eyes flicked almost icily to her for a brief second before looking away again, "_Also_ an alien," he finally replied. He then walked back inside again to where Tevos and Misato seemed to be in the midst of talking once more, primarily in the hopes of shaking off any further irritating questions from the Second Child.

Asuka obviously didn't _want_ to let it drop however as she just followed him right back inside. "S-so let me see if I have this down…" began Asuka, one finger raised again. Shinji stopped to roll his eyes and then walked right back outside again, "You find yourself in the future, effectively becoming the representative of a version of our world…"

Shinji nodded.

"You become the _first_ of us to encounter an actual alien species…"

Shinji nodded again.

"And the first thing you thought was: I'm gonna go bang that!"

"Now let's be fair," said Shinji, "I _had _known Aria for at least a few hours before any making out actually occurred. Before that we had gone, albeit rapidly, through all of the usual motions: I'd kicked her in the face; she'd beaten me up and knocked me out, and _then_ we made out…was a funny day, you had to be there."

"Well I…suppose that makes it okay then," mumbled Asuka, really not sure what else to say.

"And to also be fair: it wasn't my _first_ thought. No, that was more along the lines of 'Oh my god, who and where the hell am I?' that was followed quickly by, 'What the hell is that thing?', and then…okay, I will admit: it was probably somewhere in the region of my _third_ thought."

"Well I'm glad your priorities haven't shifted. You're still wimpy followed by scared followed by horny."

Shinji just inclined his head. There was some truth to the remark after all.

Asuka rocked on her feet for a moment in silence, "So what's she like?"

Shinji blinked and turned to look at her, "Why do you even care?"

Asuka looked quickly away, almost pouting, "No reason, but I can guess anyway: She's blue, but then you _like_ your girls with blue in them, don't you?

"Umm…"

"So I'm guessing she's a timid, nicely-spoken little _doormat_ who just goes along with what anybody says without so much as a word of protest."

Shinji had his mouth open, as if really not sure where to being correcting that statement, "Hmm…"

"_Yes_," he finally said with an emphatic nod, giving up entirely, "That is just Aria to a T: Pacifistic, gentle, charitable, polite, and _completely_ law-abiding."

Asuka narrowed her eye at him. That reaction meant either one of two things: Either she was right on the nose, and Shinji's alternate universe/future alien fiancée was a dull-as-dishwater wallflower; or she was _wrong_…and Shinji had fallen in love with some kind of complete and utter psychopath.

Asuka leaned over to look out at the horizon too before glancing sidelong at him, "Are you lying?" she finally asked.

"Blatantly."

"Go on then," said Asuka, pushing back from the railings once more, "What's she like? What kind of girl would say yes to an idiot like you?"

Shinji ignored the insult and was quiet for the longest time, "A strong, intelligent, beautiful, fun and…" he paused as a smile pulled at his lips, "…slightly scary one."

"Scary?" echoed Asuka.

His smile turned just a little bit wistful, "I guess that's just one of the things I love about her…"

Shinji dropped his chin into his hands, "Aria's the kind of person your parents are supposed to warn you about. Lucky I never had any of those growing up. She's like a flame; smouldering and blazing depending on how the wind is blowing."

"You really do sound like an idiot in love. You still haven't properly described her much though."

"I suppose I haven't. That's probably because I don't _have_ words to properly describe her. I will tell you this though: after what I _have_ told you, if you see Aria T'Loak, you will _know_ it is her. Trust me."

There was silence for a further moment before he added, "She's also a far better kisser than you."

Asuka blinked, "_Excuse me?_"

Shinji just chuckled.

"And how would you know that?" she demanded, rounding on him.

A smirk tugged on the edge of his lip, "How indeed?" he murmured.

Asuka's jaw dropped, "No…"

Shinji said nothing.

"You _kissed me_?" she shouted.

"Hey, it was your idea." He retorted, and his brow clenched in recollection," And it was _horrifying_. You almost killed me, but then I suppose that would've just been the ultimate irony to top off my sad existence: I fight all those Angels; escape death countless times, only to be asphyxiated by a sexually aggressive German."

And so, content that he'd finally shut her up, Shinji returned to his vigil of the breach in the sky as it pulsed, as it were somehow agitated by something.

'That's odd…'

What Shinji wasn't expecting however, was that while Asuka still looked fourteen, at a chronological age of twenty-eight, she had become very quick to know when someone was trying to distract her from a subject at hand, "And so you asked this Aria to marry you?"

Shinji slumped forward, but couldn't help but smile grudgingly when he pushed himself back up again, "_Accidentally_, yes."

Asuka blinked, "…Accidentally?"

Shinji shrugged, "I didn't even know what I was doing at the time. So I asked her again as soon as I did…she said yes anyway."

Asuka cocked an eyebrow up, "Thought you said she was intelligent…"

A reluctant chuckle escaped Shinji's mouth, "Love makes fools of us all…" his smile then slowly vanished, "Certainly made one out of me…"

Asuka nodded, but didn't say anything.

"I wanted to apologise, while I have the chance," said Shinji suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere.

"For what?"

"About the eyepatch remark, I'm sorry, I…wasn't in a good state of mind. I also hadn't read the mission report regarding the Unit-03 incident at that time. I…didn't know."

"Don't worry about it," she murmured.

"Is it hard…to live with sometimes?"

"What, the eyepatch or the contamination?"

Shinji shrugged.

Asuka sighed, "You get used to it…depth perception can be a bitch at times though. Besides, it's not like I'm _blind_ in that eye, I just…" she trailed off, hand unconsciously going to it for a second before pulling back.

"Are you ever tempted to take it off?"

"What do you think?"

Shinji frowned, "Probably not for a second."

"Then there you have it. But it's not like there's much point in worrying about them stopping me piloting anymore…"

"And why's that?"

"I thought you said you read the mission reports?" she retorted, frowning.

"Not all the way through and up to the end; there were just certain things I needed to clarify."

Asuka sighed once more, "To stop EVA Mark.09, I was forced to…sacrifice…Unit-02."

Shinji's eyes widened, "You did _what?_"

Asuka slumped forward slightly, "I self-destructed my EVA. It was the only way to stop it."

"Without actually being ordered to first?"

A solemn shake of the head was his response.

"Asuka Langley…_sacrificing_ Unit-02?" he breathed, as if finding the concept too bizarre to process.

"It was for the sake of the ship!"

"But _still…_" said Shinji, shaking his head.

"There's just one more thing I really want to know," said Asuka, wanting to change the subject, "Since there's something I still don't get."

"And what's that?" murmured Shinji as he watched the vortex briefly pulse again.

"How did you…age?"

Shinji shrugged, "I grew up…"

"That's not what I meant."

Shinji regarded the vortex as it seemed to pulse more. He cocked his head, curious about the anomaly's reaction, "I know what you meant." He finally responded, voice distant.

Asuka wasn't sure whether to feel insulted by the response or to dwell on it. Shinji interrupted her thoughts though, "Do me a favour, will you?"

"And what might that be?"

"Look after me…the other me," he said, still looking away, "You're the only one left that I would trust myself with now, besides yours truly of course." He turned to glance at her out of the corner of his eye, "You have grown, Asuka…in your own way."

Shinji then turned about and walked back toward the door before Asuka could speak again.

-α-

The Councillor and Captain were still in the midst of their discussion. The only notable change was that the first officer had shown up and was now standing attentively at Misato's side.

Tevos paused to look at Shinji as he stopped in the doorway to watch. He found himself staring at his younger counterpart, who was standing in the far opposite doorway, looking right back at him in turn. He realised that Asuka must've brought him in earlier with her along with Ayanami, who was remaining dutifully by his side.

Shinji guessed that the Fourth was probably out there somewhere too. Asuka moved to walk by him, "I can fix him you know." He said suddenly, his voice only on the crux of being audible.

Asuka stopped, "W-what?"

Shinji looked down at her, "If you'd like…I can fix your Shinji for you. Would you like me to do that for you?"

"_How?_" she asked, frowning at him.

Shinji didn't answer.

"Fine, do whatever…" said Asuka, who took a step forward.

"Are you sure?" asked Shinji, "It will heal him, but it might hurt others. Painful truths often do."

Asuka looked back at him, "What do you mean?"

"The actual truth is often at odds with the delusions people dream up to protect themselves. False perceptions of reality can easily be shattered, and the effects can be devastating."

Asuka just looked down, her voice dropping to a whisper, "Look, if you can help the brat…just do it, okay? Do that and we'll call it all square."

Shinji nodded, "As you wish…" and then nudged that up his mental list of future things to take care of by just a few steps.

He passed his younger self a curt nod. There was a pause on young Shinji's behalf, and he nodded once before averting his eyes completely away. The elder Shinji frowned.

"Any progress?" asked Shinji as he stepped further inside, taking up position a respectful step behind the Councillor.

"We were just about to continue," said Tevos, sparing Ritsuko a glance. The vice-captain seemed torn between averting her gaze and observing the asari out of sheer curiosity.

"I know you…" said Tevos, "From before, briefly…"

Ritsuko looked away, "That was me, yes…"

"I see…"

"I will apologise for the outcome," said Ritsuko, "but not for my reasons…"

"Then your apology is accepted. Considering the situation you were in, your caution was hardly unwarranted," replied Tevos, "I would also like to think I have outgrown my capacity to hold grudges. Moving along." she then continued, moving systematically on to the next part of the discussion, "You asked that I have Consort Ikari submit himself to interrogation."

"Did they?" muttered Shinji.

Tevos merely inclined her head before continuing to address the pair, "Considering your treatment of me whilst in your care, I cannot in any good conscience authorise this. I would not however be opposed to Shinji offering you intelligence or technological advice freely should he choose to do so of his own volition. "

"And would he be willing to do that?" asked Misato.

"That depends," interjected Shinji, and Tevos took a half step aside to let him speak to her directly, "What is it you want to know?"

"Would you be willing to provide us with any pieces of _tactical _information which you may be in possession of that could aid us in our fight against NERV?"

"Are you asking me to provide you with predictions and foreknowledge so that you can defeat my father and devastate his plans?"

Misato hesitated before responding, "That's exactly what I'm asking you to do."

To her surprise, the makings of a smile appeared on Shinji's face, "I can do that…"

"Would you allow me to test that, right here and now?"

Shinji inclined his head, "Very well, ask me something and I'll see if I can answer."

"Your Unit-01…"

"It came through successfully too, did it?" breathed Shinji, cutting Misato off, "I thought as much but couldn't confirm it."

Misato frowned, "I didn't say it _had_."

"Then how could you possibly know I even _had_ a Unit-01 otherwise. Don't try and distract from the matter in hand: Where is EVA Unit-01?"

Misato scowled, "In the hands of NERV."

Shinji blinked, "My father has my EVA?"

Misato nodded.

Shinji seemed to grit his teeth in his mouth slightly, "Well that's…_worrisome_."

"Why?" asked Misato, "Is the Unit dangerous?"

Shinji scowled, "It's an Evangelion in the hands of Gendo Ikari. Of _course_ it's dangerous."

"That's not what I meant. Has that EVA…has it…" she trailed off from there, almost afraid to ask.

"Has it awakened yet?" he offered, to which Misato just inclined her head, "The answer to that is yes. And on top of that, that Unit has actually been through the full final impact event and has already achieved its ultimate form, so god _help you _if my father finds some way to actually activate it."

"You mean he won't have been able to yet?" asked Ritsuko.

Shinji shook his head, "No, there are certain…_conditions_ that would have to be met first, but he is cunning regardless and is probably in the midst of figuring out a way. The answer to your question being: you should probably be trying to get that EVA out of his hands as soon as is humanly possible."

"That may prove…difficult," admitted Misato.

"I thought it might," said Shinji, who wasn't too worried about it at the moment, since he knew his Unit-01 couldn't reach its full potential without him acting as the core.

Although it wasn't like he could actually sense the EVA at that precise moment, which was strange considering he'd already reached the point where he could normally sync with it at great distances, even across the void of space. He therefore realised that if he was unable to sense it anywhere on Earth, despite it supposedly being there, NERV must have sealed it away somehow.

Shinji resisted the urge to groan, 'Why is it that it's only the supposed '_bad guys_' that are taking _wise_ precautions?'

Tevos raised her head slightly and stepped out in front once more, "In summation: we offer peace, and Consort Ikari appears willing to offer both advice and information. This offer of friendship I extend freely regardless of all that has happened on both sides.

"While we may be stranded amongst you for the foreseeable future, I do not see why we cannot still come to a mutually beneficial arrangement."

She then stepped back again, "The choice, I leave fully in your hands, Captain Katsuragi."

Ritsuko approached then, "May I ask Shinji one final question?"

Tevos nodded as Shinji leaned about her, "What is it?"

"Based on what you were capable of doing, we hypothesised that you must have somehow gained access to the knowledge and experiences of your mother, Doctor Yui Ikari. Were we correct?"

Shinji seemed grudgingly impressed, "You were. That was one of her final gifts to me."

"Therefore, I wouldn't be wrong in assuming that you contain all of her knowledge and scientific skill in relation to the EVA series, yes?"

Shinji nodded.

"I see…" said Ritsuko, who turned away towards Misato.

"What do you think?" murmured the Captain as Shinji and Tevos began talking amongst themselves by the window.

"I think we need him," said Ritsuko.

Misato seemed startled, "You've changed your tune."

"I'm mature enough to admit when I've been wrong. If your precautions are enough and you keep him under guard at all times, and he does _indeed_ have Yui Ikari's knowledge, then we simply can't let his presence go to waste. He essentially has access to the illusive facts that form the very basis for Project E. Those gaps in knowledge are some of the only things that NERV has which remain beyond us. He could be the deciding factor in this war."

"You mean SEELE's forbidden knowledge?"

Ritsuko nodded, "Yui Ikari's grandfather was a high ranking member of the council. It's why she had access to the information that she did and how such leaps and bounds were made in so short a time, but only she and a few others had access to that knowledge, and they were all either killed in the Second Impact or during the intervening years."

"Only SEELE, and now Gendo Ikari himself had access to that information…"

"Up until now…" said Ritsuko.

"Do you think you can work with him?" asked Misato.

Ritsuko looked at Shinji for a long moment, "Our parents managed to tolerate each other. I've endured worse from an Ikari too, I suppose. But then this is all just my opinion. The final decision is in your hands."

Misato was then left alone as Ritsuko walked off. Besides causing upset amongst some members of her crew, the Captain really didn't see a downside. And if Ritsuko was correct, then Shinji might just hold a pivotal key to their salvation.

Since there were no other outstanding elements to the situation that she was aware of, Misato felt there really wasn't any other choice to make.

She opened her mouth to call out to the councillor, only to flinch as a bright flash lit up the horizon from outside.

Every eye in the room suddenly turned to look out over the sea as Misato drifted closer to the window.

The Room of Gauf had just blazed out with an almost blinding plume of celestial light.

Shinji watched as what appeared to be a great orb of golden light spiralled down from within the void, dancing around the flickering ethereal fountain as it died down.

It then began hurtling directly towards them.

Tevos backed off to the side, as did everyone else. The people on the other side of the room drew away also. Misato staggered back.

The orb of light began to materialise mere feet away from the Wunder's hull. Two prongs of metal solidified first and stabbed into the side of the ship.

Shards of debris erupted from the wall. A fragment struck Misato clear in the head as the solidifying structure tore through the wall like a giant hammer ready to pulp everything within.

Shinji was only partially aware of Tevos reaching out to grab him as she tried in vain to hurl up a barrier in time. However, Shinji's eyes were locked only on the doomed people as that great metal shape seemed to move inexorably towards them in slow motion.

Then, with a sudden flash…everything stopped.

Shinji opened his eyes to a scene of frozen devastation.

Misato was hanging suspended in mid-air, unconscious before she'd even hit the floor.

The twin tips of what appeared to be a vaguely familiar metallic structure had already penetrated a good few metres into the room, the rest of the object was still bathed in light.

"Well, great…" said Shinji, flinging his hands up, "So we're doing this again, are we? _Fantastic_."

He looked about, scowling, "Kaworu, where are you? Isn't this normally when you show up to talk at me?"

"Ikari-kun…"

Shinji sighed at the sound of the familiar voice, "Oh, so _you've_ chosen to appear instead, Rei. Look, it's not that I'm not glad to…see…you…" Shinji trailed off as he looked at Rei.

Something was wrong.

This Rei wasn't wearing a school uniform _or_ a Unit-00 plug suit.

She was wearing black.

Quickly, Shinji looked to the other side of the room. His younger self was there, frozen like the rest.

Rei was gone.

"What is happening?" she asked.

Shinji took a step back, "Why aren't you…grey?"

Rei blinked, "What?"

"Why aren't you grey?" he repeated, "You go be grey like everybody else!" he shouted, pointing over at his younger self, "What, were Adam and Lilith too _busy_ to show up so they just unfroze you to make up for it?"

Rei remained silent.

Shinji rolled his eyes, "Of course they wouldn't be here. I'm human now, so they vanished with my Angelic side…until I forced it out…meaning this is my fault…and I'm an idiot."

His shoulders sunk, "Could be worse, at least you're not Asuka. You're part of Lilith, meaning of _course_ you slipped inside my A.T. Field."

"I am?" she queried, cocking her head, "You are…like me?"

Shinji wiped his brow, "Look, as much as I want to help you with your existential crisis – and trust me, I _do_ –now is just not the time."

Shinji paced back and forth irritably for a moment. Rei remained silent. Finally, he swung about to look at her, "Do you know what the worst part about all this is?" he snapped.

Rei shook her head.

He stabbed a finger at the cowering guards, "Half these bastards want me dead! In this state I can practically _sense_ their thoughts through their individual A.T. Fields," he then turned to look at Ritsuko, who was frozen mid-recoil, "Yeah, bet you wish you were a little _nicer_ to me now, don't you?"

Ritsuko, of course, didn't respond.

Shinji paced back and forth again angrily for a moment. Rei's eyes followed him in silence.

He paused to point at a man leaning back in fear, his flamethrower held up in front of him like a shield, "See this person? He _actually_ wants to set me on fire. He was _hoping_ for it," he then moved further down to point at a man who seemed to be trying to run for his life, "_This_ guy actually wants to thank me for killing the guy who slept with his sister, who he is _also_- Ewww…I…didn't need to know that."

He then flung his hands up again, "These are the people I'm about to save. God help me."

Shinji just shook his head and walked out in front of the frozen structure. He cocked his head wearily backwards, "Go on, go stand back over there again."

"Why?"

Shinji rolled his eyes, "Because when time restarts, every single subatomic particle in your body will be _ripped_ several metres across the room at light-speed in order to force you back to where you were a moment ago, killing you instantly."

"…Really?"

Shinji groaned, "No…it'll just look really stupid: you teleporting half-way across the room for no apparent reason…not that anybody will be _looking_ I guess."

Shinji exhaled a long breath as Rei calmly walked off and he prepared himself, "No, they'll all be watching this."

He paused to glance over his shoulder, "Hey, Ayanami…"

Rei stopped to look back.

"You want to learn a little something about human ingratitude? You just watch what happens next…"

Shinji then exhaled his breath and focused as things slowly began to move again.

'Naught to Angel in half a second flat? Well this is going to hurt…'

-α-

Cries filled the air along with the deafening sound of crunching metal. All sounds were overshadowed however as a high-pitched crash filled the chamber along with a bright flash of orange light.

The object impacted off the surface of the suddenly manifested A.T. Field and rebounded upwards instead, tearing through the top of the structure and out into the open skies where it quickly moved off and took up position in front of the open Room of Gauf, the core within illuminating and coming online as a connection was established almost instantaneously.

Nothing happened for a moment after that. The crew on the Wunder's bridge was still too busy responding to the alerts from within to pay attention to what was happening in the skies outside.

Suddenly, there came a bright flash from the object itself, and a streak of blue light seemed to shoot out across the skies from within and straight into orbit over the planet.

Besides the initial burst of energy, the crew of the WILLE battleship picked up nothing on their sensors in relation to that streak of light: not a blip on radar, nor the slightest registering of any mass.

Unbeknownst to them, a black metallic object was circling quickly around and heading straight back into the atmosphere directly above their heads.

The black, dart-like shape sliced into the cloud line before going still somewhere within, concealed safely from both eyes and sensors less than a mile above the Wunder and her fleet.

-α-

"The A.T. Field came back online?" breathed Asuka as she stood back up at Ritsuko's side.

The room was filled with groans and pained murmurs, along with a bizarre sort of ringing.

"No, it didn't…" said Ritsuko, and Asuka picked up an unmistakable note of fear in her voice.

She looked to the vice-captain. Her face was pale, eyes filled with undisguised, undiluted terror.

Asuka followed her gaze.

Her concealed eye tingled subtly while the visible one widened in shock.

The elder Shinji stood alone, looking out through the hole in the hull at the object in the distance, but that wasn't what was strange.

Orange octagonal lights flickered in the air about him and there was a bizarre glow coming off his skin. Then there was the halo, and the two unmistakable glowing red objects embedded in his wrists, which hung almost dejectedly at his sides.

They were cores.

Slowly, the thing that looked like Shinji turned his head around, and Asuka's voice caught in her throat.

Sad, shimmering red eyes looked back at her.

She staggered back, "By…_god_," she gasped, "He's…" she whispered, "He's an…"

"An _Angel_," breathed Ritsuko, "God help us, he's actually an Angel."

Shinji looked away, "Misato-san will be fine…" he said, his voice resonating, and he seemed to briefly waver on his feet, "Do me a favour and look after the councillor for me. She's totally innocent in all of this. She doesn't have to be involved further…"

Then he staggered, a hand going to his chest. The halo flickered and vanished.

"Still too damned human…" he gasped, dropping to his hands and knees as the field about him faded, followed quickly by the glow, "Stay awake…got to try…and stay awake…" he mumbled as his eyes retook their regular hue.

Shinji could do nothing as the sound of heavy footfalls became audible as someone in combat boots charged across the room directly towards him. He was dimly aware of a shadow over him in the instant before the butt of a rifle cracked him across the side of his head.

The world became a dim haze then, and his ears rang as what felt like a boot impacted his ribcage.

Something cracked.

There came the sound of shouting then; someone was objecting, but he heard no more as a gloved fist struck him clean in the face once, splitting his lip. Another blow came then, cracking his jaw. The third blow turned his world to sweet darkness.

'Well that was…excessive…'

-α-

The soldier, lost in a haze of rage, stood back up and drew back to cock his rifle. He them aimed it down at the bloodied form. Asuka was shouting an objection, possibly an order, but the man wasn't listening. The thing on the floor was an Angel, and it had taken the life of a friend of his; a good friend.

He ignored his superior officer and began to squeeze the trigger.

Biotics however, they were somewhat more difficult to ignore than words. A blast of shimmering light slammed into the man's side before he could finish pulling the trigger fully, sending him bouncing a good twelve meters across the room like a rag-doll.

Tevos lowered her shimmering hand. Guns were immediately pointed in her direction from all angles. She tensed, her barrier glowing around her.

"Wait!" cried Ritsuko, holding an arm out. She then stepped forward, and Tevos watched as she advanced on the still form of Shinji.

The vice-captain reached into her jacket and suddenly there was a Beretta in her hand. She stepped over the fallen Third Child and then bent down to press the barrel against the side of his temple. She had to make it clean at least.

"You can't do this!" shouted Tevos, briefly casting aside her composure, "Can't you see he just saved all your lives?"

"He's an _Angel!_" she shouted back.

"And yet," said Tevos tightly, "He _saved_ your lives."

Ritsuko clenched her finger around the trigger. It was the logical thing to do; it was what _had_ to be done.

Her eyes however were then drawn to where Misato sill lay unconscious, and then to the corner, to where the broken young Shinji observed her in silence.

Ritsuko closed her eyes.

She then stood up again, "He's still a valuable sample." She looked to a nearby officer, "Have him moved into isolation and locked down immediately."

"Ma'am?" gasped the man.

Ritsuko's gaze turned icy, "I gave you an order, didn't I?"

"Yes, ma'am!" he said, snapping immediately to attention.

Ritsuko could only shake her head, "And…make sure his wounds are tended to." She said, somehow painfully aware of Tevos' gaze upon her.

"Thank you, vice-captain."

Ritsuko didn't respond as the men moved in to place guards around the asari. Tevos lowered her defences, choosing not to resist.

Ritsuko looked to the unconscious Misato as medics swarmed her before heading quickly off towards the transit stop, her eyes flicking to the object in the sky. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she had to make sure they were prepared for whatever was coming next.

-Ω-

Tisala ignored the sting of the bruise below her eye as she brought the ship back around, "We're clear of the Bridgehead. Transference was successful. Was just like jumping through a regular Relay."

"We're just lucky we didn't appear inside a star or crash right into the ground," murmured Moran, his arms folded, "We should have sent the probe through first. Tactical analysis?"

"EDEN?" asked Tisala, "What's your opinion?"

"Readings indicate a post-impact Earth, early to mid-twenty-first century. I suppose the Leviathan was trying to be apt in its choice of where to dump Shinji-kun," She brought up her scans of the fleet below, "Those are all mid to late twentieth century naval vessels, mostly thermonuclear powered."

Patriarch scowled, "What are they doing up in the air?"

EDEN shook her head, "I'm not entirely sure. Readings indicate the lead ship has them suspended in the air with some kind of A.T. Field."

"Are they a threat?" asked Moran.

"No," replied EDEN, "not to this ship's armour and shielding. They're completely irrelevant. _This_ however…" she said, and the image of a ship flicked onto the main screen, "May be a cause for concern."

"That's the lead ship?" asked the Turian commander as the Wunder's image rotated slowly on the screen.

Tisala frowned, "What _is _that thing?"

EDEN regarded the image, "technologically, it's only _somewhat_ more advanced than the rest of the fleet, its firepower however is definitely a few grades higher, though it does appear to have suffered recent battle damage."

The platform frowned as she looked at the image for visual reference, "I've never seen anything like it before if I'm perfectly honest. From what I can tell, it appears to be some kind of EVA/warship _hybrid, _hence the A.T. Field it's using to stay aloft.

"In terms of mass; even by modern standards it's on the scale of a dreadnought. I'm also detecting a confirmed S2 signature from within. We can assume that to be the power source."

"That thing has an A.T. Field…" said Aria as she stepped forward to observe, "Does that mean it's invulnerable?"

"No, "replied EDEN with a shake of her head, "For some reason I'm detecting massive fluctuations in the output from their main engine. It's possibly as a result of that battle damage. I'm frankly shocked she still has enough power to stay in the air with that fleet tagging on behind at these levels. If they tried to use it to defend themselves then they'd simply drop like a whale."

"What about their manpower?" asked Aria.

EDEN frowned, "If I ignore the rest of their fleet and base my numbers on just sensor readings, then that ship alone has them outnumbering us ten, perhaps maybe even twenty to one."

Tara regarded the ship carefully, "It's so…what's the word?"

"_Ugly_?" offered Tisala.

"I was aiming for something more eloquent, but yes."

"If it comes to pitched combat, what kind of firepower can we be expecting?" asked Moran.

EDEN turned from the image, "Based on my observations of their current level of technological development, we're talking primitive body armour; no mass accelerated weaponry; no biotics…" she trailed off and just shook her head, "The bottom line is this: while they outnumber us, we vastly outgun them. At worst they could probably try and swamp us with pure physical numbers."

"So if they can only get at us with numbers," said the Patriarch, "then we might be looking at a good, hands-on fight. _Beautiful_…"

EDEN blinked and then swung back around, alerted.

"What is it?" demanded Aria.

"It had been masked by the larger ship's field, but I can confirm it now…"

"Confirm what?"

EDEN looked to Aria, "I'm detecting Shinji's A.T. Field."

Aria tried to maintain her calm, "Where is he?"

EDEN turned for the front of the cockpit, "Tisala, lower us to just below the cloud line. Give us line of sight on the lead ship's port side."

Tisala nodded and began manipulating the controls. Light filled the cockpit as the Wunder became visible directly ahead.

"He's on board that thing?" asked Aria.

Tisala spoke up, a note of excitement in her voice, "Confirmed: I've got _confirmed_ telemetry coming from the Captain's Omnitool. His transponder is still active!"

EDEN seemed to stagger.

"What is it?" asked Aria.

"His vitals…I can actually _detect_ his vitals."

"Is he okay?" she demanded.

EDEN nodded, a hand on her chest, "His BP's a little high, but otherwise fine. He's…_fine_."

Aria just nodded impassively, though the entire weight of her posture seemed to relax, as if someone had knocked a huge weight from her shoulders, "Can we get a fix on the Councillor too?"

Tisala nodded, "We can. Her Omnitool is also online and is responding to standard greeting hails. It's showing as being in close proximity to the Captain's. I think we can assume she's okay too."

"I want a fix on their precise location." Ordered Aria, but Tisala was already manipulating her console.

"Aria…" she said, eyes wide and fixed on part of her display, "I think I can go one better…" she then tapped a control and the image on her console was passed to the main display.

It was a zoomed in, real-time image, focused on the gash that had been torn in the Wunder's side.

Shinji stood in the center of the screen, A.T. Field visible and clearly deployed. Tisala looked to Aria, but her expression was blank, emotions perfectly concealed.

That alone said a lot however.

Tisala just smiled and turned back ahead. She wondered if Aria would've cracked a smile if she were still in the unstable state she'd been in just ten hours earlier. The fact that Aria had slept four hours longer than the six she'd intended showed just how in need the pirate had been of rest.

Tisala was just glad her boss had chosen _not_ to put a bullet through her brain, and had instead gone with the simple, but always effective in getting your point across, punch in the face.

"Why do you suppose he's even got his field up?" mused Tara.

"Well we did just hurl a _monument_ at him." commented Patriarch, "Now, I don't know how it is where you're from, but on Tuchanka, throwing big pointy landmarks at people is usually classed as fighting talk."

EDEN shifted on the spot. She had after all been the one to fire the thing through the breach in the first place, and had been trusted to be the 'expert' on the Room of Gauf.

"Oh no…" said EDEN suddenly, and Aria's brow twitched as Shinji staggered, "He must've deployed it too quickly."

They watched as Shinji dropped to his knees and seemed to be on the verge of passing out.

"This again," said Aria, watching him carefully, the concern visible only in her eyes.

"His vitals are still in the green. He might actually be okay," said EDEN, "I think it might be best to open communications to try and establish dialogue with the commander of the-" her voice simply stopped however as a blur of black filled the screen. The figure that had appeared reared back with the weapon in his hand and then smashed the Third Child across the cranium before kicking him in the chest and laying brutally into him with his fists.

Silence fell in the cockpit. Absolute, _dead_ silence…

The man had then been cast aside, but another figure had then appeared on screen, pistol in hand, "It can't be…" breathed EDEN, eyes wide with shock "…_Ritsuko_?"

'No, surely you wouldn't…' she thought helplessly as she watched. She then began calculating how much she would have to lower the power in the GARDIAN system to effectively take out Ritsuko without scorching the flesh from Shinji's bones in the process due to their proximity.

They all held their breath as the gun was pointed at Shinji's head for what seemed to be an endless moment before finally pulling back again.

Still nobody said anything. Instead, one by one, every pair of eyes turned to look at Aria.

The silence was broken by the sound of her knuckles briefly cracking at her side. Concern was gone from Aria T'Loak's eyes, replaced instead by a void of absolute nothingness.

Emotion was simply _gone _from Aria's eyes.

She took a deep breath, held it there for a moment, and then let it out again.

"Moran…" she finally said, her tone almost horrifyingly still, "Patriarch…"

"Yes, Aria?" responded the soldier.

"Aria?" grunted the old man.

"You know what to do…"

Moran nodded, and the old Krogan let out a hearty roar of laughter as he spun around, "Okay, boys, time to go earn our pay!"

Even as activity erupted behind her, Aria remained calm and still. She just looked out at the Wunder like she wanted to burn it from existence with thought alone.

Aria was officially at her worst: too angry to be angry.

"We're taking that ship," she finally said, her tone shifting slowly as she spoke, emotion bleeding through, "Ten to one, fifty to one, a fucking hundred to one: I don't care how many of the worthless fuckers there are!" Only now was the rage starting to seep through. She then found her eyes flicking briefly to the old, half-torn book below the monitor that Shinji kept by his co-pilot's chair for supposed good luck; the book that contained the ship's namesake.

Aria T'Loak bared her teeth, "It'll just be bows and arrows against the lightning…"

-α-

Gendo Ikari looked down over the restrained form of Unit-01. The test-type EVA was secured firmly under a literal field of stygian Angel sealing blocks and surrounded by a forest of towering black pillars to prevent any chance of a remote activation.

"The core is empty…" said Gendo as he looked down upon the still form, "And yet the Unit has been awakened in the past and shows definite signs of being recently active. We must therefore find the missing Component. Has its location been confirmed yet?"

Fuyutsuki nodded, "Your son's counterpart is definitely aboard Katsuragi's ship."

Gendo was silent in thought for a moment before speaking, "Then they have no idea what it truly is that stands among them. If we can gain control of this Unit and harness its full potential, we can proceed immediately to the final phase of the scenario and avoid all foreseen obstacles. We can end everything by our own hand.

"God may have provided us with a truly unforeseen blessing." He turned to look at Fuyutsuki now, eyes hidden behind his visor, "See to it: Have the Component brought here immediately; utilise whatever resources are needed. Katsuragi should not be able to present any worthwhile resistance given their recent losses."

The elderly sub-commander nodded, "Very well, Ikari. I'll have the Dummy Plugs' directives programmed in immediately. They'll be ready for launch by dawn. What do you want done with the extra-terrestrial?"

"An intriguing anomaly, but alien life is of no relevance to the plan. Ensure the Dummy System is aware of that too: there can be no distractions." said Gendo, realising that so long as nothing _else_ swayed the winds of fate further, then this sudden alteration to the scenario might be just what was needed to usher him straight to his ultimate victory.

As Fuyutsuki walked away, behind his visor, Gendo Ikari allowed his eyes to close as weariness caught briefly up to him, "The time is here. It's almost over now, Yui…"

-Ω-

_To be continued…_

[A/N]And thus ends the three chapter trilogy as I call it. Now, if you're an author, you will have chapters come along just once in a while that are naught but pure fun to write, and while this one was fun to get out there, the next one, the _next one..._ Toodles until then!

Catch you in Chapter 5: War of the Worlds

-αΩ-

Omake Theater

Yes, I'm officially accepting skits and omakes for this, future and older chapters. So, to get us started, here's a skit courtesy of Dracco.

Shinji was holding Tevos in the shower and both were just drinking in the solace of the other before they had to go out and deal with the insanity of their situation.

"I have decided your punishment," Tevos murmured.

"My, what?" Shinji said, looking down with a raised eyebrow.

Looking up at him, "Why, your punishment for getting me into this mess, of course."

"...but I told you to run away, you chose to come."

"No, as a citizen of the Asari Republics it was my duty to try to help in a situation where all the Republics would be at risk. It was your duty to protect me."

"I told you to run away. I tried to protect you."

"And you tried quite valiantly," She smirked, " but you still failed."

Sighing in resignation, trying to end the game, "And what would my punishment be?"

"When I step down as Councillor I will nominate you to replace me"

"...I'm not an Asari."

"You're a citizen and are enlargeable."

"I hate politics."

"Hence it being a punishment."

"Aria would never stand for it."

"Aria will see it as a way to get more power and push you into it."

"But, but," desperate now, "I'd mess it all up, I don't know anything about Asari rules, or culture, or, you know, diplomacy and stuff."

Reaching up to pat his cheek, "Oh, Shinji, I don't plan to step down for a century or two, plenty of time for you to learn all those things on an accelerated program."

"But-"

"That's three centuries worth of education, day in, day out, without rest."

"Now wai-"

"And then when you become Councillor you'll be expected to serve until you twilight years."

"I'll probably live millions of years."

"Then you'll have a very long career. All that experience can only be a boon for the Asari," She said, reaching past him to turn off the water.

"That's, that's inhumane."

Reaching for a towel by the door, she looked back over her shoulder, "And I'm not human." She said before leaving.

Shinji stood there in the cooling shower, not quite believing what he'd just heard, "Tevos, that was a joke right? You were joking? Tevos? Tevos!?"

Laughter was his only answer.


	6. Chapter 6: War of the Worlds (Part 1)

**Version 1.0 Alpha version. Corrections and assist from Vandenbz!**

[A/N] You know, this tale has been dragging its feet I feel lately, too much in the way of moral dilemmas and justifications in a story that, at its core, really was just supposed to be good fun. But l feel it's apt that it's in a chapter about lost things finding their way again that this story also gets back onto track. So let's have some fun and carry on with our little tale of villain protagonists and antiheroic antagonists. Oh, and this one's getting split up in two, as it really was getting just that long, though even so it still seemed to end up the longest chapter so far, so enjoy either way and I hope this little excursion goes in some way to just brightening up your day.

**Chapter 6: War of the Worlds**

**Part 1: The Eve of the War**

Ritsuko circled slowly about the perimeter of the darkened room, double checking their containment measures as she went. The isolation chamber had an ominous hum to it and was illuminated by a dim, foreboding scarlet light. The various computer banks and bits of equipment packed into the outskirts also gave the room a very haphazard appearance.

Ritsuko of course made sure to stay on the _outside_ of the circle of black pillars that ringed the majority of the room, as she felt you really couldn't be too careful in situations such as these.

Between each second column was a handpicked man armed with a rifle loaded with anti-A.T. Field ammunition.

The center of the room was occupied by a lone figure secured upright to a black, obelisk-like structure coated with Angel-sealing runes. His arms were totally encased in similarly marked black bands to prevent any possible output from the two S2 cores on his wrists.

"Hello, Ritsuko…" said Shinji calmly, his eyes still closed.

Ritsuko gave a slight start, "You're awake…"

Shinji seemed to try and shrug, "I've been awake since you entered the room." He opened his eyes then and arched his head about to survey his surroundings, "Having said that…how long have I been out?"

Ritsuko didn't respond.

Shinji smiled, "So, I'm not even allowed that much, am I? Well I'm guessing it couldn't have been more than a few hours. Therefore I'm also guessing that you already had this…_place_…set up beforehand. Tell me: who was its former occupant?"

"Your injuries have mostly healed," commented Ritsuko, ignoring the query, "The damage to your ribs and jaw had already restored itself before we even had a chance to secure you. There was also no sign of a concussion from the blow to your head."

Ritsuko paused and waited for him to comment; to volunteer information.

However, it was Shinji's turn not to respond.

Shinji twitched his facial muscles, 'Still feels a bit bruised. My body must have prioritized looks until last…pity.'

"Speaking of concussions," he then finally said out loud, "I take it Misato hasn't woken up yet."

"And what makes you say that?" murmured Ritsuko as she inspected one of the columns.

"Because she would've been here if she were. She might have still left the talking up to you, but she would still be here regardless."

"Are you willing to answer some questions?" asked Ritsuko, again ignoring his words.

Shinji said nothing.

Ritsuko's brow twitched, "Misato will be fine," she said briskly, "her concussion wasn't serious, but it might still be a few hours before she regains consciousness."

Shinji inclined his head curtly.

"Now…are you _willing_ to answer some questions?"

Shinji narrowed his eyes at her. He sensed a possible threat waiting beyond a negative response.

"Is the first one 'what are you'?" he asked.

Shinji watched Ritsuko nod as she disappeared and reappeared in the gaps between pillars while she walked, "Are you one of the entities which we would refer to as an Angel?"

Shinji hummed, as if dwelling on the question, "I am Lilim, make of that what you will. But in a way, aren't we both Angels? I mean, every human that's evolved on this planet is at the very least _part_ of an Angel."

No comment again.

Shinji heaved a weary sigh, "_Alright_…I suppose it would be more accurate to say that I'm the _last_ Angel. And by that I mean I'm the last remnant of both the Lilim and also of the First Ancestral Race too."

"Explain…" said Ritsuko, still circling.

"I've been through Instrumentality," said Shinji, and he watched Ritsuko stop dead at the mentioning of that word. He smiled, "That's how I know so much about all of you. I was synchronized with Unit-01 when it became the medium for Final Impact. I was exposed to the entirety of mankind's A.T. Field. Ergo, a reflection of the souls of all humanity remains within me, sustained by a remnant of Adam and Lilith's power.

"In effect, I am little more than a living monument; proof that my humanity once existed. You can just think of me as lilim concentrate."

Ritsuko was making notes, "You say Instrumentality occurred in your reality?"

"Oh, don't make me _remember…_" grumbled Shinji, "It might have been an enlightening process, but being forced to learn everybody's dirty secrets was a high price to pay for it. I sometimes ask myself if that was my main reason for choosing not to remain on my Earth. I mean, can you _imagine _living with people while knowing all their dirtiest, most perverse thoughts and secrets?"

Ritsuko frowned, "You learned _every_ human's secrets?"

Shinji shook his head, "I can't remember everybody's. They all sort of faded into the background after a while, but the people I knew personally still stay fresh."

"Including…"

"Yes." said Shinji, looking directly at her.

Ritsuko seemed to pale somewhat at the concept, and silence fell for a moment, "Well it's irrelevant either way," she finally said, "You said it yourself that events have changed. What you knew about us probably isn't valid any more."

Shinji shook his head, "Doesn't matter. You're still you, Ritsuko. The very core of who you are; your A.T Field, remains the same. Deep down, you are exactly the same person. I may not know about certain events that have transpired around you, but I know the flavor that makes up your very self...I know your _soul._"

Shinji watched Ritsuko's fingertips tighten around her clipboard.

He smiled weakly, "If you ever feel like hearing the Case for Ritsuko Akagi some time, let me know," his expression then softened slightly, "it's not as bad as you might think..."

Shinji sighed then and turned his attention upward, "Go on then, get on with it: I'm guessing one of the reasons you came down here was to tell me that I'll never be leaving this room alive."

Ritsuko threw up a mask of composure, "Unless we can come to some other arrangement, you will remain in confinement indefinitely. You must understand that your very existence is a threat to this world."

"I can certainly see why you might think that."

She frowned, "Are you saying we're wrong?"

Shinji slumped forwards, hanging limply in the chains that bound him and blew a stray bang out of his face, "I won't waste my breath trying to convince you otherwise…"

His eyes then went to what appeared to be an IV linked to his left arm. It fed across the room and into the wall.

There was silence between them for a moment.

"Ask then…" said Shinji.

"Ask what?"

"The other question; the one so urgent that you felt you had to come down here and ask me it in person."

Ritsuko inclined her head, stopping between pillars to look at him, "What is the object now hanging in the skies above this vessel?"

"Didn't you ask Tevos?"

Ritsuko inclined her head, "We tried, but she was unwilling to discuss anything with the exception of your wellbeing. I tried to reassure her you were unharmed. That didn't seem to be enough for her."

"Wonder why…"

Ritsuko didn't dignify the jibe with a response, "Do _you_ want to tell me what it is?"

Shinji cocked his head dismissively, "It's just a monument, from the Presidium on the Citadel. And before you ask: _No,_ I have no idea why someone would hurl it through the Room of Gauf at us. Maybe it's just somebody's idea of a sick practical joke."

"Your 'practical joke' is emitting strange energy readings and also appears to exist in a state of perfect quantum grace."

"Is that so?" mused Shinji, "Are you saying I should just learn to appreciate art more?"

Ritsuko turned away to hide the scowl on her face, "Do I take it therefore, judging by your indifference, you would have no objection to us simply destroying it?"

Shinji tried to shrug again, "Do whatever you like, though you should probably expect some strongly worded letters from the Presidium groundskeepers if you do."

The vice-captain's frustration rose a notch. She knew Shinji was lying, or at the very least he was withholding something important, and he seemed to be reveling in it.

"Very well, we'll study it at our leisure at a later date."

"You do that…"

Another irritated narrowing of the eyes followed.

"I take it Tevos is unharmed," said Shinji after another prolonged period of silence.

"She is. She surrendered herself into our custody without resistance. She's being kept under house arrest in our guest quarters. She'll be made as comfortable as possible. We have of course removed her Omnitool. Despite her claiming the device to be harmless, it nevertheless seemed more than capable of allowing her to hurl one of our people several meters through the air. Both of you seemed to neglect to mention that the devices held those kinds of offensive functions too."

And it took every single ounce of willpower on Shinji's part not to laugh, "Yes," he finally said, his voice totally flat, "that's a very smart precaution. Good job, Ritsuko," His eyes then flicked to her, "Was anybody actually killed back there though?"

She looked away, averting her eyes from him, "No…just minor injuries."

Shinji looked up again, "You're welcome."

Ritsuko didn't respond, she just put her pen away and then braced her clipboard under one arm, "That's all we need for now." She then turned and started to walk off, but not before making a minor adjustment to the controls on the wall by his IV feed, "We'll let you know our plans for you in due course."

The doors then closed, and Shinji was left in silence.

He looked around, only then remembering the presence of the silent, statue-like figures around him.

"So…" he said, "Who's for a song? I'll start us off…"

Shinji suddenly felt immensely drowsy however, and he only had a second to realize that a sedative had just been introduced into his system via the IV before he began to lose consciousness once more.

'I've changed my mind. I genuinely hope…somebody…_hurts_ that woman...'

And so, as darkness encompassed him and he was floating alone in the inky blackness once again, Shinji's front of levity evaporated, 'so…is this is how my story ends? Not with a bang; not with an embrace; not even with a sigh, but with the slamming shut of a tomb?'

'…I only wish I got to say goodbye, Aria…'

-α-

"So what do you think?" asked Mari as she leaned back against the bulkhead outside of the crew mess.

Asuka was looking out over the night sky. The breach and glowing artifact were subtly illuminating the darkness like a second and third moon.

"About what?" murmured Asuka after a pause.

"_You know_…" said Mari, "Big Shinji turning out to be…what he is."

"An _Angel_…" breathed Asuka, shaking her head, "How can the idiot, any version of him, end up as an Angel?"

Mari shrugged, "Maybe he'll tell us. How's Puppy-kun doing?"

Asuka sighed, "Well he asked how Misato was doing, which I suppose is a step in the right direction." Her brow then tightened into a frown, "He hasn't said a word about the other version of him though. I think he's scared of him to be honest."

"Well you got out of what happened to you with just an eyepatch." Said Mari, "Who knows, perhaps Doggie-kun might just end up sporting a nice pair of bracelets or something. I don't think the Captain will just keep him locked away like some-"

Mari cut herself off however as a subtle '_bump'_ sounded from directly above, followed by several more immediately afterward.

Both pilots looked up, nether saying anything for a second.

"You hear that?" murmured Asuka.

Mari nodded, frowning. She then blinked as she sighted something moving in her peripheral vision. She turned fully towards to the window, "Did you see that?"

Asuka turned to look out of the window again. She scanned the skies with a frown "Did I see _what?_"

Mari narrowed her eyes to peer carefully into the dark, "It was on your blind side but I…I thought I saw something."

Asuka looked out into the black sky again, "What did it look like?"

"I don't know," said Mari with a shake of her head, "It looked like a big…_shadow_ out there in the sky." She looked up at the ceiling again and frowned, "Maybe we were hit by a flock of birds."

Asuka shook her head, "Not this far out to sea, there's nothing in the oceans for them to eat." She then narrowed her eyes as she came to a decision and began walking off toward a nearby emergency hatch to punch in the release code.

"What are you doing?" asked Mari.

"I'm just going to climb up and take a look at whatever that was." She glanced back at Mari as the hatch hissed and slid open, allowing a sudden blast of cold air to rush in, "You coming? I would've thought this'd be your sort of thing."

Mari smirked as Asuka reached out and grabbed hold of the ladder attached to the outer hull. She then swung herself outside and began hoisting herself up the rungs.

Asuka emerged atop the hull above the crew quarters a few seconds later, "It's probably nothing…" she sighed, and reflexively held a hand up to shield herself from a sudden gust of icy wind.

The top of the Wunder hull was almost completely black and unlit in that area, and the only illumination to be had was that given off by the moon and the anomaly above. It also wasn't what anybody would call _safe_ thanks to the utter lack of safety railings.

Asuka looked about as Mari poked her head up over the edge just behind her.

Suddenly, there was a light tapping noise off to one side, and it sounded to Asuka suspiciously like footsteps; swift, _light_ footsteps. She caught sight of movement in the corner of her eye.

It looked like there were silhouettes…moving about in the darkness, "Who's there?" demanded Asuka, swinging fully about to face them.

There was no response however, and the shadows had become instantly still once more.

"What is it?" asked Mari as she clambered up to her feet, pausing briefly to adjust her glasses.

Asuka's brow knitted into a scowl. "I'm _sure _I saw something move out there…" she said, hugging her jacket closer about her as she surveyed the darkness around them, "Whoever's there, get out here and show your-"

"-Asuka…" both Asuka and Mari almost leaped out of their skin at the sound of the voice. They spun about.

Both pilots exhaled long, simultaneous breaths of relief as their hearts descended from their throats, "_Captain…_" breathed Asuka as she sighted Misato, who was standing just few feet away from them and lit up clearly by the moonlight behind her, "You scared the crap out of us."

"Is that so?" she asked quietly.

"What the hell are you doing out here on the hull?" asked Mari, "And…shouldn't you still be in bed?"

There was a brief, barely perceptible pause before the response came, "I'm feeling much better now," said Misato, "And I thought I heard something, so I came up to check."

"Us too," said Asuka as she looked about, "If there _was_ something out here though…it's gone now."

"Apparently…" replied Misato, who then turned to walk away.

"C-captain?" said Asuka unsurely.

Misato paused and glanced back at her, eyes concealed behind her glasses, "What is it?"

"Have you heard about what happened?"

Misato said nothing.

"About Shinji that is…"

Misato frowned, "Shinji-kun?"

"You did hear about him…being an Angel, didn't you?"

Misato's face was absolutely impassive as she replied, "I was aware of that fact, yes."

"A-and have you decided what you're going to do with him?"

Misato turned and looked back out into the shadows. And Asuka couldn't help but notice that it appeared as though her Captain was now staring directly at the area where she could've sworn she saw something move just a moment prior, "I have been…_assured _that he will be in good hands. Now, I have other matters to attend to. Where is Ritsuko?"

"B-but, Captain, I-"

"-_Where_," cut in Misato almost harshly, "Is Ritsuko…Akagi?"

Asuka looked to Mari in confusion and then back again, "On the bridge, probably. Look, Captain-"

"-Asuka," interjected Misato as she turned away once more, "Go back to your room. It's late, and you should be in bed…" and then, without another word, she just walked off and disappeared into the shadows.

"Captain?" called out Asuka with bewilderment.

"Get some sleep, Asuka." She said back from the darkness, "It's not safe out here..."

"_Huh_?" was all Asuka could say as she stared blankly in the direction Misato had left in.

Mari approached her side, looking almost equally baffled, "Did…did the Captain just order you to go to your room?"

Asuka cocked an eyebrow up, "Just how old does she think I am?"

Mari shrugged, "Maybe she hit her head harder than we thought."

"That's another thing…" said Asuka, "Did you see a mark or even a band-aid on her head anywhere?"

"None that I saw…" replied Mari, who then folded her arms and frowned, "Still, how come she only says that to you? It was as if she didn't even care that I was there."

Asuka just stared off into the dark as Mari descended the ladder once more, muttering about the captain playing favorites as she departed.

For some reason, Asuka suddenly got the strangest urge to go and check in on the younger Shinji to make sure he was okay.

Something felt _off…_

-α-

Ritsuko strode onto the bridge and up to the command platform, doing her best to hide the weariness and fatigue from her expression. She almost wished someone had knocked _her_ out with a concussion like they had their Captain; at least that way she'd have an excuse to get some sleep.

She surveyed the command positions below, noting that some of the officers present were deep in focus and appeared to be working furiously on something.

"What is it?" she asked in general.

"We're not entirely sure, ma'am." replied Hideki, "But we're having to do a purge of all the MAGI's active memory."

Ritsuko frowned, "Why, is there a problem?"

"Well it appears that, for some reason, the entirety of our operational and historical databases were just accessed and loaded into active memory space. It was as if someone was trying to read every file we had at almost the exact same time."

Ritsuko stepped up to her console and brought up her monitoring software, "Loaded by whom?"

The technician shook his head, "I don't know, ma'am. It looks like the MAGI did it to itself."

"And what makes you think the MAGI did it?" asked Ritsuko as she examined the logs.

"Just look at those access times," he responded, "That data wasn't accessed simultaneously. Someone or something accessed those files in some kind of rapid, intentional order. And only another MAGI or some other kind of supercomputer could work at those kinds of operational speeds."

Ritsuko paused to wonder what the MAGI could be thinking. She spared a glance about the bridge, "Where are Hyuuga and Aoba?"

"Down in engineering, ma'am. They're assisting Ibuki with the repairs to the main engine. They're trying to get the A.T. Field back to full strength by morning."

Ritsuko nodded in thought, "Continue the purge. I'll head down there and assist them now."

"Yes ma'am."

-α-

Aoba bashed his fist against the console in frustration. The energy graphs on his screen were still fluctuating wildly despite his best efforts, "Damn it…" he cursed.

Hyuuga leaned over his shoulder to check his progress, "Still not going back into alignment?"

Shigeru shook his head, "No, Mark.09 did a damned number on the whole thing. It was hard enough getting it to sync with Unit-01 in the first place. At worst, we might be forced to land the ship and do a full restart of the main engine."

Makoto frowned and walked over to the nearby darkened window to look out over the comm towers and landing structures outside. He sighed, regarding the blackness outside in thought, "The Captain won't like that. We might be out of action for days preparing a new catalyst." He glanced over his shoulder, "and what would we even use to insert it?"

"Well complaining won't get us anywhere," snapped Maya, looking up from the conduit she'd had her head buried in to glare at them, "Get back to work…"

Makoto and Aoba exchanged a look as Maya returned to her maintenance.

Aoba cast his gaze upward, as if peering between decks at something distant, "I don't like it though…"

"Don't like what?" asked Makoto, who frowned and narrowed his eyes, having sworn that he'd just sighted something moving between the towers just a few meters opposite.

"He's just a few sections away, that…_Angel_. To think, it was right under our noses this whole time…"

"What do you think the Captain will do with him?" wondered Hyuuga.

Aoba shook his head and went back to his console, "I don't know. I know what the _vice-captain_ probably thinks we should do with him though."

Makoto turned away from the window, "Well she had the chance to do that. Remember though: while he might be an Angel, he could still be human too."

Aoba glanced at him out the corner of his eye, "Should that even matter?"

Hyuuga shrugged his shoulders and held his hands up, "Who knows. That's for the Captain to decide."

Shigeru shook his head again, "Well it's not like it matters anyway. We've got his alien friend under lock and key, and it's not like anyone else is going to come swinging in to-"

A deafening crash cut Aoba off as the window behind Hyuuga exploded inwards with a blue flash, hurling both officers to the ground.

There followed a crunching of glass as a lone figure in white leaped in through the gap and rolled to a controlled stop on one hand and knee, poised like a cat ready to strike. She surveyed the room with a brief, sweeping glance. And once satisfied there were no relevant threats, she stood up, stowed her sidearm away and crossed immediately to a nearby active console.

Aoba pushed himself up, shaking the glass out of his hair, "The _hell_ was that?" he shouted.

Makoto groaned and dragged himself up onto his knees, "Something tells me that wasn't a gas explosion…"

"Get under cover!" hissed Maya urgently. Both men looked up and then scrambled over to hide behind the same open hatchway that she had ducked behind. Her standard issue sidearm was already drawn as she peered out over the top of the hatch.

Both officers' eyes widened in shock as they looked out too, "Another alien?" breathed Makoto.

Aoba glanced up at the console above their heads and quickly reached up to pull down the intercom handset.

-α-

Ritsuko picked up the handset built into the transit car's control panel as it bleeped for her attention, "Akagi…" she answered.

"This is the bridge, ma'am," came the voice on the other end, "I've got Lieutenant Aoba trying to reach you. He says it's urgent."

She frowned, "Very well, put him through." A single bleep on the line sounded out, "What is it, Aoba?"

"Ma'am!" whispered Aoba urgently, "We have a situation down here."

"What is it?"

"There's…there's another one, ma'am."

She scowled, "another _what_?"

"Another alien!"

"_What_?" breathed Ritsuko with undisguised shock, "That's impossible."

"Impossible maybe," he replied, his tone still urgent, "but she's as large as life and standing barely five meters away from us as we speak."

"She?" echoed Ritsuko, "Is it the same species as before?"

"I think so...but this one looks a lot more…I don't know…"

"What?"

There was a pause, "_frowny?_"

"Is that your professional analysis?" she snapped, and then just shook her head, "Never mind. Just signal security. I'm on my way down there now. Is she armed?"

Another pause followed, "Yes. But she hasn't actually drawn a weapon yet," and he seemed to pause once again, presumably to check on the intruder once more, "She seems more interested in the layout of the ship. I think she's looking for something..."

"Very well. Just stay under cover and wait for backup."

"It's okay, ma'am."

Ritsuko frowned, "What do you mean?"

"All we need to do is secure the room and restrain her." He said, still whispering, "Look, we just need to get her gun away from her along with that thing on her wrist before she can use them and she'll be helpless, right?"

"_Aoba_…" said Ritsuko warningly.

"It's _okay_, ma'am," he repeated, "There are three of us and one of her."

-Ω-

"This is entry point Alpha," said Aria through her communicator. "Breach was successful and I've managed to track Objective One using the enemy's computer systems. However, it looks like the section he's being held in is completely cut off from outside access. I can't get a visual on what's going on in there."

"You shouldn't have gone alone, Aria," said Tisala on the other end.

"I prefer to go solo when I'm aiming for a genuinely subtle touch," replied Aria as she typed, "Just make sure everyone else knows their job."

"Don't worry. We'll be ready."

"Step away from the console!" came a shout from somewhere behind Aria's back.

"What was that?" asked Tisala with a note of urgency.

Aria rolled her eyes, "Just the local wildlife barking. Ignore it."

"Understood. EDEN has you scrubbed from all internal surveillance feeds. Let us know if you need fire support."

"I won't." Her Omnitool then bleeped as a map overlay was transferred successfully over, "Got him. He's three sections away and two decks up. I'll be going on foot from here."

Aria shut off her Omnitool and turned about. She didn't alter her gaze to even focus on the three humans spread out to block her way, and instead started striding straight for the steel door on the opposite wall.

"Stop right there!" repeated the long haired human.

Aria didn't even bother to register his existence and just made to pass right by him. She had more important things to concern herself with and was actually more than fine to just leave the natives be.

Makoto made a dash across Aria's path to a console opposite and entered a rapid series of commands.

There was a mechanical hum as Aria approached the door and two blast shields slid shut, blocking her path.

The asari tensed, hands reflexively clenching into fists.

Aria turned back about. Her eyes did a quick survey of the three humans who'd obviously thought locking themselves into an enclosed space with her was a perfectly wise thing to do, "That's right, Ma'am…" said Aoba in as calm and commanding a voice as he could manage, "Just surrender."

Aria said nothing. Instead, she just started to turn towards the door again and began to bring her Omnitool up to override it.

"Look, I don't want to have to hurt you!" shouted Aoba, slamming his foot down a step closer.

Aria stopped.

And before Aoba could reach out and secure the asari's arms, Aria did a perfect one eighty so she was eye to eye with the officer, right inside his personal space.

Aoba froze.

Aria leaned a little closer, and Aoba's confidence melted a little more with every second those eyes were locked with his.

For those eyes said one very clear, very simple thing:

You've just made a horrible mistake.

Aria's gaze narrowed, and then said in what was to her credit perfectly flawless English, "In the…_lesser _words of the Ardat-Yakshi," she then paused to lean in just a few millimeters closer,"…_Come again_?"

Aoba blinked and took a half-step back to regain his composure, but he found his efforts somewhat hindered when a slender violet fist suddenly slammed into his gut with the force of a small sledgehammer.

Shigeru choked and doubled over as he staggered back.

There followed a blur of movement as Aria swung about and struck the collapsing man with a brutal roundhouse kick to the side of the face.

Aoba's head snapped back with a shower of blood and shattering teeth, his jaw cracking in no less than two places.

Aria then leaned fluidly back as a clumsy blow skimmed by the surface of her face, and she could tell by the sudden look of panic on the remaining man's face that he knew exactly what was about to happen.

And indeed, Makoto Hyuuga could do nothing to stop Aria from grabbing hold of his outstretched fist and then shattering three of his ribs with her armored knee before dropping him with a final, backhanded strike to the side of his head.

Aria spared both fallen men a brief glance before turning to walk off again.

There was a flash of movement off to one side, and Aria had just enough time to roll her eyes before Maya Ibuki pounced on her back like a cat attacking a much larger animal.

Aria staggered a half step as Maya began to try and wrestle her to the floor. The officer stopped her wriggling after a moment however when she realized that her opponent wasn't budging, and was in fact now glaring at her over one shoulder.

"Get off," said Aria with an immensely forced level of calm, "and stop wasting my time."

A flash of indignation passed over Maya's features and she shoved Aria forwards as she pushed herself back and into a readied fighting position, "Oh, don't you _dare_ treat me like some helpless child," she snapped, glowering at the alien.

Aria didn't even bother turning about to face her, "Just save us both some time and throw yourself on the ground."

Maya shook her head, clenching a fist as she readied to attack, "Oh, you arrogant _bitch_!"

And Aria was sure that Maya might have continued her attack beyond the single step that she actually managed to take, but the pirate chose to cut short the encounter by unceremoniously planting the flat of her boot clean between the smaller woman's eyes with a well-placed sidekick, shattering her nose with a sickening crack of breaking cartilage.

Maya collapsed back with a shriek, cradling her face as blood streamed out.

Aria retracted her foot and brought it back down again. She then finally found herself able to unlock the door and leave uninterrupted, but not before looking down just one last time upon the collapsed, sobbing woman, "Just Aria will do..."

"What happened, Aria?" came Tisala's voice over Aria's communicator as she emerged into the corridor, "We just detected a slight spike in your vitals."

"Just a brief encounter with Earth's best and brightest," responded Aria, "I'm suspecting we might have overthought this…"

-α-

Ritsuko's eyes widened in surprise as the transit came to a stop, "Misato!" she gasped as she sighted the other officer, who actually seemed to be waiting for her, "Why are you out of sickbay?"

Misato just regarded Ritsuko in silence as she disembarked the transit car, "You should still be in for observation at the very least."

"I'm fine, Ritsuko…" said Misato, "The injury was less severe than Sakura-chan first thought."

Ritsuko's brow furrowed, 'Sakura-_chan_?' She thought with brief confusion, and then regarded the Captain warily, "Are you…_sure_ you're feeling alright?" She then leaned closer to inspect her superior officer, "_Although_, I see the swelling has indeed gone down…_completely_." The vice-captain appeared visually perplexed for a moment, "There's…no mark?"

"A few layers of foundation covered it up, and as I said: I am perfectly fine; the initial diagnosis was worse than my injury actually was. What's our current situation?"

"Are you up to date with current events?"

Misato nodded, "I've been informed about the object in the sky and about Shinji-kun too. Is there anything else I need to know?"

Ritsuko nodded, "Aoba just informed me we have an intruder aboard."

"An intruder?" echoed Misato, who was still as motionless as a statue.

"Yes, another asari, or so he says... I'm on my way down there now. I've seen no movement from security so I'll stop by the nearest command post and summon-"

"-No," interjected the Captain.

"Misato?"

"I want you to head down there alone…to monitor the situation in person. I'll organize security details myself. I'm heading back to the bridge now. I'll…have them meet you upon your arrival."

Ritsuko hesitated. Something was off about Misato, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

After that moment of uncertainty, Ritsuko just nodded her head and passed by the motionless Misato. Each then boarded their respective connecting transit cars and departed in opposite directions.

-Ω-

Mari couldn't sleep. There was something afoot; she could feel it in her bones. Mysterious noises, shapes in the sky; Mari Illustrious _lived_ for nights like these.

The Forth Child drifted down a deserted corridor that connected two sections of the ship, eyes flicking about left and right.

There came a bump from directly above.

Mari froze, her mouth reflexively twitching into a wide grin.

Suddenly, the automated door at the end of the corridor slid open.

The EVA pilot tensed…but there was nothing there.

Mari scowled. The doors needed to detect someone to open. Or at the very least they required someone to manually hit the opening control.

'Maybe it's a ghost…' thought Mari, her eyes brightening. That really _would_ make her life fascinating.

Her shoulders slumped however as the quieter, more rational part of her mind reminded her that the door was most likely malfunctioning. However, that was when she caught it: a subtle scent drifting about on the recirculated air, like a promise of adventure floating on the wind.

Mari had explored every inch of the Wunder. The scents and sounds associated with every deck and department were second nature to her. However this was something new…

Mari's smirk tightened.

She took a subtle breath, sampling the air around her once more.

'Hmm, now who or what could it be that smells like…_ramen_…spliced with…_museums?_'

Mari orientated herself about in a slow circle, eyes flicking about.

Mari quashed logic in favor of instinct. Logic simply told her there was nothing there. _Instinct _however simply screamed the opposite.

Mari inhaled again slowly. The direction of the scent was moving: It got stronger, then weaker and then stronger again.

Something was circling her, and Mari got the strongest sense that, whatever it was, it knew she knew it was there.

Booting logic completely to the four winds, Mari elected to simply do what came naturally to her: i.e. The unexpected…

Mari halted in the middle of the corridor and then waited for the variation in the strength of the scent to stop. She then crouched down to straighten her plugsuit around one foot.

Mari felt subtle warmth spreading over the hairs on the back of her neck.

It was leaning over her...

Mari's smirk widened until just a few too many teeth were visible, and she let her hand slip away from her plugsuit.

She then clenched it quickly into a fist and punched straight back over one shoulder.

To Mari's genuine surprise, the blow actually connected with something, and with a rather nasty _crack_ at that.

Mari knew a nose when she felt one, and she knew she'd just sucker punched _something_ square in the face.

The feeling of warmth in Mari's personal space vanished, and there followed the sound of undisguised footsteps staggering backwards as a barked Japanese curse emanated seemingly from mid-air.

"_Oh!_" came an insubstantial, indignant voice, and Mari sighted droplets of blood fall seemingly from nowhere at an ever increasing distance.

It was backing off…

"Just for that…" growled the unmistakably female, understandably _irritated_ Japanese voice.

Despite her rarely listened to better judgement screaming at her to move, Mari could only marvel in silence, 'Not a ghost…it's a _ninja_!'

"_Awesome…_" squeaked Mari. However, she only realized then that she probably should've kicked herself into action, as opposed to just remaining on one hand and knee gawking.

Mari's eyes widened in alarm when she heard the sound of charging footsteps an instant before an invisible foot punted her in the mid-section and sent her skidding several feet down the corridor.

Mari rolled over mid-bounce, palms pressing flat on the deck as she dragged herself to a halt. She then readied herself, crouched down on all fours like a beast readying to pounce. Her eyes held an animalistic, feral glee, as if something had quite literally been kicked into motion, "That wasn't very nice…" she growled in an almost sing-song voice.

Mari's brow twitched as a distorting shimmer appeared in the air just a few meters ahead and a figure in black materialized.

Kasumi stood, her hand cradling her bleeding nose, "You punched me in the _face_!"

Mari's jaw dropped, "I knew it: you're a ninja; a cute little ninja!"

"Just who are you calling a ninja?" snapped Kasumi as she paused to massage some Medi-gel into her nose and make herself presentable, "But I will not deny that I am cute. Now step aside, strange…crazy girl. I really don't like hurting kids."

"Who are you calling a kid?" objected Mari before her brain could stop her, "I'm twenty-eight years old!"

Kasumi blinked, "_Oh,"_ and then inclined her head, "In that case…"

Mari shifted her center of gravity, choosing to move first and before Kasumi could even _finish_ adjusting herself into a fighting stance.

The thief's eyes widened as Mari literally flung herself at her like an uncoiled spring and slammed into her upper torso.

Kasumi grappled with the vicious smaller figure as they fell backwards together. The instant Mari had rolled herself on top however, Kasumi reared back and booted her clean in the gut, hurling her off.

Mari righted her fall once again, nails digging claw-like into the deck plating as she stopped herself, "Never underestimate an EVA pilot, little ninja," growled the Fourth.

Kasumi blinked as she backed off, "EVA pilot?" she then let out a tired sigh, "In that case, never mind... I'm sorry, glasses girl, I thought you might be something special. But I've already got one of those."

"_Hey_," objected Mari, "I'm special! Everybody always tells me so!"

"I'll bet they do…" murmured Kasumi, "Look, let me ask you this: Do you cook?"

Mari's brow furrowed, "N-no…"

"Do you have your own ship for me to stash my things in?"

"No…"

"Do you give massages?"

"Umm…"

"Well in that case I think I'll stick with the model I've got. I don't you suppose you've _seen_ my EVA pilot around, have you?"

"_Your_ EVA pilot?" echoed Mari.

Kasumi shrugged, "He's technically my Captain, but I class him as being one of my things."

Mari frowned, "Your _captain_? Wait, would he happen to be about five foot eight, have spiky brown hair, cute blue eyes and a tendency to have sex with blue space aliens?"

"Ah_,_ so you've met Shinji-kun, have you?"

Mari then stood up to full height and sighed, "Well that really is a shame…"

Kasumi frowned, "In what way?"

"Look: as much as I don't have anything _against _Big Shinji, even if he _is_ supposedly an Angel. If you're here to set him loose, then I guess it's sort of my job to try and stop you...sorry. If it were my choice then he'd already be free, but it's not. And there's only so much even I can get away with before the higher-ups get _really_ mad at me."

Kasumi sighed, "Don't worry about it."

Mari narrowed her eyes at the thief, "Mari Makinami Illustrious…" she said, slipping into a readied stance.

Kasumi peered at her, subtly shifting her center of gravity and footing, "Kasumi Goto…"

"Pleasure to meet you..." They said in almost perfect unison before lunging at each other.

Mari weaved under Kasumi's blow and slammed a fist into her gut. She regretted it instantly however when she realized with a stab of pain that the garb the thief was wearing was actually some kind of body armor.

Mari staggered back and felt Kasumi's hands on her shoulders. Moving on instinct, the pilot jumped atop the foot that suddenly flicked out to swipe at her legs.

Mari wrapped her arms about Kasumi's neck and threw her body weight into her upper torso.

Kasumi found herself toppling backwards, and she ignored the pain as her head cracked off the deck plating. Instead, she rolled straight back into an overhead kick, forcing Mari clear. The thief then took the opportunity to flip herself back upright once more.

Kasumi scowled. This was taking far longer than she had initially intended. Master thieves weren't supposed to be out in the open for any considerable length of time, and certainly not whilst in the middle of enemy territory.

Playtime was over.

Mari charged once more, and Kasumi waited for the blow to be hurled before simply vanishing into mid-air and then feinting off to one side. With her target gone, Mari overshot, staggering.

Kasumi twirled instantly about on one foot to slip invisibly in behind Mari's guard before she could be relocated by non-visual means.

Mari felt a jolt as two hands struck her on the base of neck at either side, and she couldn't help but smile vacantly as the world shifted to black around her.

Kasumi reappeared and caught Mari in her arms before she could hit the ground.

"Sweet dreams, little EVA pilot," said Kasumi quietly, "I'd love to stay and play with you some more," and she looked up as the door at the other end of the corridor opened and Samara entered, "but duty calls…"

"Is there a problem, Kasumi?" asked the Justicar, tilting her head almost curiously to regard the fallen EVA pilot.

"Not really," sighed the thief as she stood back up and slung Mari over one shoulder, "Best take this one with us. Don't want her raising the alarm."

Samara inclined her head, "Very well. I've located the quarters in which Councillor Tevos is being held."

Kasumi nodded, "Good, that's one down. This one didn't have any leads on the captain that she was willing to spill."

"Consort Ikari is being taken care of. We must focus on our own task."

Kasumi inclined her head and followed on after the Justicar, "Did you have any trouble?" asked the thief.

"There were two guards stationed in that section. I offered them an opportunity to surrender, they elected instead to attempt to raise the alarm and attack me."

"So…resting in the goddess' embrace?"

"Unfortunately."

Kasumi suppressed a chill before going back to focusing on the job at hand. All they had to do was reach Tevos and then make sure nobody else tried to get at her until the operation was over.

Kasumi guessed that Aria picked this job for the Justicar since it was little more than glorified guard duty, and would leave her being forced to kill only in defense of either herself or the Councillor. It would also serve to keep her away from witnessing any of the 'dirtier' aspects of the operation.

"Have you found the sickbay?" asked Kasumi.

Samara nodded, "It is en route. Will you require any assistance?"

Kasumi shook her head and vanished once more, "No, I'll take care of it…"

-Ω-

Ritsuko paced back and forth at the transit stop. She paused to listen to her radio every few seconds as the various search teams reported in.

For some reason, security had _not_ in fact been there to meet her, and she'd been forced to make do with what armed men she could cobble together from the surrounding compartments.

She had tried to reach the bridge for an explanation but the only response she could get was that the Captain was 'occupied', and was refusing to communicate directly, so she couldn't get a straight reason for the lack of promised action. Misato had also ordered that a general alert _not_ be sounded, with the apparent intention of keeping the intruder off guard.

Ritsuko's brow clenched into a scowl and she crossed over to the comm panel. She pressed a control, "Sickbay…"

"Sakura speaking," came a tired but still chirpy response, "Is there a problem, vice-captain?"

"Most likely not," she responded, "I was just wondering why you thought it was wise to discharge the Captain so soon after sustaining a serious head injury like that. Are you absolutely sure that she's fit for duty?"

There was a brief pause, "Ma'am, what are you talking about? The Captain-"

A click from Ritsuko's radio cut into the conversation, "-Security reporting in…"

"A moment, Sakura…" said Ritsuko, "What do you have? Is there any sign of the intruder?"

"No, ma'am. We've found Lieutenants Ibuki, Aoba and Hyuuga though."

"What's their status?"

There followed an exhalation of breath, "Something laid into them pretty bad, ma'am. Only Lieutenant Ibuki is in any state to talk. She says it was definitely an asari though, and not a very friendly one."

"Armed?"

"Yes ma'am, although apparently she didn't see fit to actually use any of her weapons. From what I can see, she seems to be more…_hands-on_."

"And there's no sign of her whatsoever?"

"No ma'am. It looks like she broke into this section through an observation window, but there's no sign of an exit. I've had my men check every access log on the doors between sections, as well as every exterior hatch and window; there's nothing to be found. I don't see how it could be possible for her to have left this section."

"Then she's definitely still there somewhere. Search again."

"We've just completed our third sweep, ma'am. Trust me: there is nothing here. We've checked every closet, vent, crawl space, nook and cranny outside of that transit station. The only way in or out is through there, and the logs show it hasn't been used since we started the search."

Ritsuko massaged the bridge of her nose wearily, "So what are you trying to say, that she simply vanished?"

He sighed, "Maybe…" he said, "Who knows what their technology might allow them to do."

Suddenly, something the man had said clicked in Ritsuko's head, and she spared a quick glance around "Wait…"

"Ma'am?"

"You said you searched every room?"

"That's right…"

"In every crevice and in all possible hiding places?"

"That's what I said, ma'am."

"But you didn't search in here?"

"W-what?"

"Did you sweep this area too?" she asked, sparing a look about, at the drop leading down onto the transit rail and into all the dark corners piled high with boxes.

"W-well we were all _in_ there, and there was so much activity…"

"_Did you_?" she hissed urgently, walking slowly out and away from the transit car.

"No." he hissed back.

Ritsuko reached into her jacket and withdrew her pistol, "Stand by…"

The vice-captain walked as silently as possible toward the boxes piled in the corner, her weapon raised as she glanced over them and into the shadows behind.

Nothing.

She edged over to the opposite corner now, behind the banks of machines.

Again however, there was only shadows to be found.

Ritsuko shook her head and moved carefully back to the transit rail, peering down over the side and into the gap under the platform, where someone could conceivably hide with their back braced against the side.

Nothing there either.

Ritsuko exhaled a relieved breath and mopped away the cold sweat that had appeared on her forehead.

There came a gentle _tap_ from directly behind her; the sound of something dropping from the ceiling to the floor.

Ritsuko froze, her eyes flicking to the shadow now being cast alongside her own.

The vice-captain didn't move except to spare a brief glance up at the beams above, where someone could have indeed held themselves braced up.

"You couldn't have been comfortable up there all that time," commented Ritsuko.

"_Well_, you know what they say…" came a far-too cordial voice from mere feet away, "Crime is like photography: It's all about searching for just the right moment."

Ritsuko slipped her grip slowly up the barrel of her gun and clenched it tightly. Gritting her teeth, she swung the butt around in the direction of the voice.

A hand shot up and clamped onto Ritsuko's wrist mid-swing, halting the weapon inches from the asari's face.

Ritsuko glared at Aria, teeth bared with strain as she was restrained mid-turn at a very uncomfortable angle, "Breaking into this ship, assaulting our crew…If _this_ is how you negotiate with-"

Aria twisted slightly, and Ritsuko gasped as the bone in her arm strained, "-_negotiate_?" she interjected calmly, "Oh, you seem to be grievously misinterpreting my intentions. There are no further negotiations coming. According to your own records, that was already attempted. What is it you humans say about carrots and sticks?"

Ritsuko gritted her teeth, "And am I to take it you're the _stick _then?"

"To put it mildly." replied Aria, "I am not here to ask_, _I am simply here to take. You will do as you are told, or you will die; I'm going to make it that simple for each and every one of you. Now then, it would appear that you've severed all external connections to your isolation section, meaning I'm unable to get sight of what's going on inside from here. Therefore, vice-captain –it _is_ vice-captain, isn't it? You now find yourself being in the very privileged position…of information provider."

Ritsuko tried to struggle, but the asari's grip was like a vice. And the vice-captain could see the barely restrained rage in the alien's eyes.

Even though the asari hadn't raised her voice once so far, it was nonetheless clear to Ritsuko that she was absolutely furious for some reason.

"This is how it's going to work," said Aria, "I am going to ask you some questions, and you're going to answer them. Do I make myself perfectly, _abundantly_ clear?"

"The isolation section," breathed Ritsuko, her eyes widening in realization, "the Angel…you're after the Angel."

Aria's gaze hardened.

Ritsuko steeled herself and just glared at her captor, "That sample is the property of WILLE, and if you think we're just going to let you _take_-"

Aria's boot shot up and struck Ritsuko in the shoulder. There came a loud snap as her arm was broken free of its socket.

Aria opened her fist and dropped Ritsuko to the ground as she let out an almost ear-splitting scream of agony.

The asari just sighed and hooked a foot under Ritsuko's limp, injured arm to flip her over onto her back.

The vice-captain had her eyes clenched closed, hand cradling her shoulder as Aria stepped over her and dropped down into a sitting position atop her torso, "Just so we're clear: that was not the correct answer. Now, let's try again, shall we?"

Ritsuko opened her tear-filled eyes to glare up at the asari, "You psychotic…sadistic…_bitch_."

Aria sighed again and trailed a fingertip down Ritsuko's cheek, "Are you implying that I'm actually enjoying this?"

"Aren't you?" she growled, teeth gritted together.

Aria inclined her head, "Well, yes, immensely, but that's entirely beside the point. You see, Ritsuko Akagi, your life became null and void the instant you pointed a weapon at the head of a certain someone. You may therefore consider this as you fighting for your right to continue existing."

Ritsuko's eyes flicked off to one side. Figures were emerging from the doorway, edging closer.

"A moment please…" breathed Aria wearily, and Ritsuko could only watch helplessly as the asari extended her right hand out in the direction of the closing shadows.

There was a glow of dark energy followed by a bright purple flash. And with a shocked, quickly silenced scream, all six men simply vanished in a blaze of biotic flame.

Ritsuko flinched back from the heat of the biotic flare, eyes wide with horror.

An alarm went off around them and there came a hiss as the sprinkler system was triggered, raining icy cold water down upon them.

Aria frowned, "Well that's irritating..." and she took a moment to silence the alarms with a dual flick of her biotic lash, and then simply chose to ignore the water for now.

"You…you killed them."

"So what?" she asked, turning her attention back to the vice-captain again, "I thought I told you: I am not here to make friends, nor to make peace or forge alliances. Your little organisation will give me what I want, or I will see it burn."

Ritsuko snarled up at her defiantly, "Just who in the hell do you think you are, doing this to us?"

Aria just smiled, "I'm the bitch in charge. That's all you need to know for now," She then dropped her hand non-too gently onto Ritsuko's shoulder, eliciting a shocked squeak of pain, "Now then, where were we?"

"Even if you somehow got the best of WILLE, don't you understand that you'll be condemning our entire species to extinction?"

"I am genuinely failing to see how that's my problem. Now, and I am going to be honest: it is taking great restraint on my part not to kill you right now, so I think its best we get back on track."

"And what reassurances-"

Aria cut Ritsuko off with a lighting fast punch to the face, cracking her head back against the steel floor. There was a spray of blood and she cried out again in pain once more, but it wasn't enough to knock her out, "There will be no reassurances," said Aria, "As I said: I'm going to take back what is mine and you can just lie there and pray you get out of it alive.

"Now it's not like I want it this way, it's just the law of the jungle. If I show weakness, people presume to take advantage of what they see as an opportunity and my fragile order is disrupted as a result. Wars have broken out across my little corner of the galaxy over far less. Why, if I didn't do things like this, millions could die…goddess forbid.

"So you see," said Aria with a dark smile, "you can merely view this as Aria T'Loak doing her sworn civic duty for the sake of galactic peace and harmony."

"Is that supposed to be your justification?" demanded Ritsuko, spitting blood out to one side.

"It's what they call the big picture, one that I am forced to consider on a daily basis. What you took were actions, and these are merely what they call _consequences._ Now, as much as I'm enjoying this little conversation…" and Aria traced a fingertip down Ritsuko's neckline before pressing it down on the exposed nerves in her empty shoulder socket. The vice-captain was unable to restrain the cry of agony that the ministration tore free, "I really must start asking you for results. Keep in mind: the easier you make this, the quicker it'll be for all of you. Just tell me what's waiting for me in there…"

Ritsuko heaved several breaths, waiting for the agony to dull to a background throb that she could at least think through, "And if I _do_ talk?"

"Then you have my word that I might not kill you." replied Aria "Tell me nothing, and…_well_, I don't think you need me to spell it out. However, on the off chance that you do…" Aria withdrew her automatic pistol from behind her back and proceeded to arm it. She then reared back and leveled it at Ritsuko's head, "I'll give you to the count of five to make your choice. That's how long you have to affect some influence on this situation. After that…" she then just trailed off, not really needing to finish.

Aria's finger coiled around the trigger, "One…"

The bloodied Ritsuko just glared at her.

Aria inclined her head acceptingly, "Fair enough, skipping ahead somewhat. _Four…_"

Ritsuko's eyes widened.

Aria smiled, "Give the Devil my regards, Ritsuko Akagi..."

"Eight men," said Ritsuko suddenly, her voice shaking from the pain, "Each equipped with anti-A.T. Field ammunition, with orders to terminate should there be any chance of a containment breach. That will include from the outside. If you try and go in there, then those soldiers won't shoot at you; they'll shoot at him. They'll also only stand down if ordered to by both the Captain and myself, without duress _and _in person. So you see: it's impossible. If you go in there then all you'll do is condemn him to a quick death."

Aria frowned in thought, processing her options and weighing up the outcome of any changes that might have to be made in the plan.

She then nodded, and smiled politely, "Thank you for your time, Ritsuko. You've been most helpful." She then proceeded to unceremoniously punch the former scientist out.

Aria uncoiled herself from her crouched position and then stood upright. She then closed her eyes to hum with mild satisfaction. She had to admit, she'd enjoyed that just a little bit more than she probably should.

Bending down, Aria tore free the vice-captain's access card from the breast of her coat and then unlocked the door into the adjoining section before departing for the isolation area.

If Ritsuko was telling the truth about the defenses around Shinji then things could simply continue as planned. She'd been preparing herself for much worse after all.

She opened up her comm channel while she walked, "Entry team, what's your status?"

Samara's voice responded a moment later, "Objective Two has been secured and is unharmed. One prisoner has been taken. The alarm has not yet been raised."

"Good. Let's keep it that way. We need everything in position for when the time comes. I'm en route to Objective One now. What's the status on Objective Three?"

Kasumi's voice piped in, "I swung by their sick bay on our way to the Councilor. There was nobody awake there except for a sleepy little nurse girl."

"A witness…did you deal with her?"

"Well, I gave her a tap on the head and then locked her in a cupboard, so yes. She was wearing the cutest little beret too. I stole it."

"Whatever. So long as that's done. I'll update you when the next phase is ready to begin."

"Understood." responded Samara, "Entry team out."

-Ω-

Asuka didn't know what she was doing. She'd returned and checked in on the Third Child to find him sound asleep with Rei slumped on the floor by him.

That had reassured her for some reason. And she'd stood there in the shadows just watching them both for a moment before leaving again, but she'd been unable to force herself to actually return to her own quarters after that. Mari was MIA too, though that didn't surprise her too much. There had been times when she'd vanished for days without explanation and no questions had been asked.

'Just going to check on him…' she commented mentally, 'Just got to make sure they haven't chopped the idiot into little bits or cut out his brain or something, then I'll go to bed. Just…just got to make sure…not that I actually care.'

Asuka stopped in the foyer outside of the isolation area, hugging her coat closed around her to block out the wind gusting in from the tear in the hull.

She spared the hovering artifact in the distance a wary look before returning her attention to the sealed steel door.

'Just walk in there, pull rank, make sure he's still in one piece and then walk out again…that's all.'

Asuka then frowned however as something occurred to her after sparing a glance about. Despite the fact that the isolation section was now supposedly containing some kind of pseudo-Angel, there was nothing in the way of security directly outside; no guards or anything.

She reached for the panel by the door.

"Asuka…" and Asuka's heart almost leaped right out of her mouth for the second time that night at the sound of that quiet, borderline monotone voice. This time however it had emanated from the PA system directly overhead.

Asuka turned about, one hand clasped over her chest. Her eye swept about until it settled on a surveillance camera that appeared to be actively focusing in on her, "C-captain?"

"That's right," replied the voice calmly.

Asuka glanced about, "H-have you been watching me?"

"Amongst other things…"

Asuka frowned, "Y-yeah, well I-"

"-I thought I gave you an order, Asuka."

Asuka looked off to one side, arms folded, "Yeah, well I'm a little too old to be told when I need to go to sleep."

"What are you doing in that section?"

Asuka blinked, "N-nothing. I was just…just…"

"That section is secured for a reason, Asuka."

"I know. I just wanted to…" she trailed off.

"To what?" inquired the voice.

Asuka heaved a tired sigh, "I Just wanted to make sure he was alright."

"Shinji-kun is fine. I've already told you that."

Asuka couldn't help but notice that Misato was still referring to Shinji in her old informal way, despite her apparently knowing he was in some way an Angel.

"Yeah?"

"Don't you trust me?" asked the voice.

Asuka took a hesitant step back, "Misato…you're starting to weird me out a little with the whole disembodied voice thing. Are you sure you're feeling okay, and how come there aren't any guards out here."

"I'm fine, Asuka. And there are no guards for one very simple reason."

"And what's that?"

"_I'm_ watching him."

Asuka blinked, "_Oh_…well that's…that's okay then."

"Now get out of that section, Asuka," ordered Misato, "It's not safe."

"Safe?" echoed Asuka, glancing at the opening, "What, are you afraid I'll fall or something?"

"Leave," ordered Misato, "Immediately. That is an order, Asuka."

"Yes, ma'am..." sighed Asuka with a roll of her eyes.

The pilot then turned and left, opening up the side door to detour via the exterior walkways. She stopped however and reflexively pressed herself back against the bulkhead as she heard a noise carrying out over the night wind from up ahead.

There was a definite commotion going on up ahead at the landing platforms. Asuka could hear the shouting and barked objections that were being hurled about.

Asuka edged closer and peered around the corner into the open.

A black-suited guard was edging back towards her. His rifle was raised and aimed at something up ahead, "I'm going to tell you just one last time-" he was silenced however as a rippling distortion appeared to strike him in the front and then hurl him a good five meters through the air, clear over the side of the ship.

Asuka gasped in horror as the sound of the man's scream filled the air before vanishing into the distance below, swallowed up by the sound of the Wunder's A.T. Field resonance.

Two men remained while a third was down. His neck was twisted at unnatural angles, and it was clear instantly to Asuka that he would never be getting up again.

A cry of pain, muffled by a facemask echoed out as one of the remaining men bounced to the floor nearby. He groaned in pain before going still.

Asuka eyed the alarm control sticking out from the wall as a figure began to emerge into the floodlit open from the shadows. The last man raised his silenced rifle, firing off a spray of bullets at the form.

The figure pounced, unhindered by the bullets, loping towards the last man like a leopard charging its prey before dispatching him with a single turning kick that had him slamming into the steel wall a good three meters away.

He didn't get up again.

Asuka hit the control for the general alert and prepared to run.

No sound came however. So she pressed the button again.

Nothing.

Asuka eyed the cable going up from the alarm control box. Everything appeared fine. That could only mean one thing therefore, 'Somebody's silenced the alarm system…'

Asuka turned to look out over the pad again. Her breath caught in her throat.

'What the hell is going on?' thought Asuka as she locked sights on what was unmistakably an asari standing just a few meters away from her.

The alien stood out in the open, and Asuka could only vacantly wonder why she wasn't swamped with security. There should've been ten times the number she'd seen get effortlessly dispatched.

Asuka looked quickly about, hoping to see somebody else around, but there was nobody else there.

'What did Misato _do?_ Order all our security out of the one place it was needed?'

Asuka forced herself to look back towards the alien, and then immediately wished she hadn't.

The Second Child stood frozen, half-emerged around the corner, her hand still on that alarm button. She felt like a proverbial deer in the headlights as the asari looked right back at her from the corner of her eye.

Options began flicking through Asuka's head: she could flee; or perhaps grab a fallen weapon and try to shoot the creature dead; or maybe engage hand to hand. The last of those options she dismissed immediately. The alien had not only the size advantage, but judging by the condition of some of the fallen men, it was obviously very unwise to let her get within arm's reach. And assuming she had the same shielding technology that Shinji had, then Asuka knew bullets would be pointless.

That left only one option: flee, raise the alarm, and pray she didn't get cut down from a distance.

The asari hadn't moved however. She was just stood there, still as a statue, watching her like a predator curious about a smaller animal that it had no intention of eating.

'Okay,' Asuka tried to tell her legs, 'just move…_move!_' and slowly she began to peel herself away from the wall without making any sudden movements.

And then the asari started moving again, right in Asuka's direction. The EVA pilot began to backpedal in time with the alien's advancing steps.

Only then did Asuka notice however that the alien wasn't even looking at her now. No, her gaze was fixed dead ahead, calm and focused.

Then Asuka registered what the asari was carrying. There was a white coat slung over one of her shoulders along with a series of belts containing the clips that Shinji had offered up to Misato earlier. She also had his Omnitool clipped loosely to her right arm.

Being lightly encumbered obviously didn't hinder her ability to fight however.

Several facts clicked into place in Asuka's head: The alien had stopped to pilfer Shinji's articles, and on top of that she was now heading on nothing short of a warpath towards the isolation section.

Asuka stopped moving. Her survival instincts were telling her to appear as small and unthreatening as possible; to make herself not worth the effort. It was shameful, perhaps but she considered it preferential to a broken neck or a very long drop.

The asari's eyes flicked to Asuka for an instant as she moved to pass her.

Asuka swallowed hard and turned to face the retreating form. She couldn't help but take notice of the symbol on her back, "Who are you?" she found herself asking, "How did you get on board this ship?"

Aria stopped and glanced back at Asuka. She smiled grimly, as if contemplating some private joke, "Didn't your mother ever tell you it's dangerous for little girls to be out this late?"

Asuka found herself glaring back at the alien and felt her hands clench into fists at her sides. If anything, the reaction just seemed to amuse the asari further, and she looked back ahead again, "I have no time to deal with children even on my best of days, and this is _not_ one of my best days."

"You're here for him, aren't you?" said Asuka, "You're here for Shinji."

Asuka staggered back as the alien suddenly rounded on her, and there was a brief flash of something in the asari's eyes; a flash of composure briefly vanishing to reveal a torrent of something concealed just beneath the surface. The expression was gone as fast as it appeared though; control quickly regained. Aria regarded Asuka witheringly,_ warningly_ for a moment before turning slowly away again.

And there was only one word Asuka had for that look: Fire; this creature had fire in her eyes.

And just like that, everything fell into place, and Asuka could feel the blood drain from her face as realization struck, "Impossible…" she breathed.

Aria stopped. She glanced back over her shoulder at Asuka once more, frowning slightly.

"You're Aria T'Loak..."

Aria blinked; the slightest show of surprise on her part. She then orientated herself back around once more to face Asuka.

Asuka tensed and took a reflexive step back, "_Well_…" said the asari, "I know my reputation often precedes me, but I find myself in the rare position of being…_genuinely_ surprised." an amused smirk then tugged at the side of her mouth, "and to think my ego couldn't get any bigger." And just like that, she turned to walk off again.

"He didn't say what you looked like," Asuka found herself saying, "just that I'd know you when I saw you."

Aria paused, inclining her head, eyes narrowing a fraction, "Did he now…?"

Asuka looked about behind her, "Why him?" she asked as she surveyed the fallen forms littering the pad.

Aria was still stationary, her foot partially extended, "Excuse me?"

Asuka turned to look at the asari, "Why would someone like you, who would do something like…_this_, choose someone like him?"

Aria kept her gaze ahead, "I don't think that's really any of your business now, is it?"

"But he's a wimp; a timid, _scared_ little moron. _What_, are you saying he just makes you laugh or something? Or is it just his taste in music that gets you going?"

"He's no coward," interjected Aria, "And if you genuinely believe he is, then you're a bigger fool than you look, _Asuka_." And she didn't leave Asuka a second to ask how she knew her name before speaking again, "And for your _information_: His taste in music is terrible, and he spends most of his time driving me half-insane and causing trouble that I really could do without."

Asuka remained silent.

"So _no_, he does not make me laugh," and Aria just started walking again, "…but I sort of like it when he does."

Asuka opened her mouth to speak, but Aria spoke first, "Try to follow me and I'll kill you. I suggest you go back to your room like a good little girl, Asuka Langley Sohryu."

And just like that, Asuka was left alone and in stunned silence. Even after a full minute, all she found herself able to lamely mumble was, "…it's Shikinami."

-Ω-

Aria strode into the foyer that segmented the quarantine and isolation sections. She spared the gash in the wall a momentary look before heading straight for the sealed door.

There was a click from the locking mechanism and the door began to open, as if by its own accord. Aria glanced over her shoulder, briefly eyeing the camera monitoring her movements before heading inside, the door sealing itself shut behind her a moment later.

Aria knew there would be no outside help from this point on. She was on her own now…

-Ω-

Aria leaned about the corner, surveying the corridor leading up to the main isolation chamber. Two guards stood at attention outside the thick steel aperture. The asari knew it would take only one of them to send word inside however; just a click on the radio to signal trouble could be all it took.

Aria scowled. She couldn't risk that the chamber wasn't soundproof either.

There was only one thing for it then:

Aria walked right out into the open.

The men recoiled in surprise as the asari walked into their field of vision, stopping between them.

She nodded curtly, "Take me to your leader…"

There was a moment of pure emotional dullness, where both men's brains didn't quite know how to react to what their senses were telling them.

Unfortunately, an instant was an eternity longer than Aria T'Loak actually needed.

There was a blur of movement as her right hand flicked out and drove the tip of Shinji's Omniblade clean through the throat of the man on the left. It punched straight through the front of his neck and out the back again, severing his spinal cord and killing him instantly.

Her left limb then lashed out and seized the neck of the man on the right in the small of her arm, cutting off his airflow to prevent him from calling out. The asari caught the falling dead man over one thigh to prevent any noise as she yanked the other man back and twisted at a forceful angle. The only noise the ill-fated soldier ended up being able to make was that of his neck snapping in two.

Aria let the man with the knife in his throat slide to the floor as she set the other silently down.

She then retrieved the Omni-blade and hauled the corpses up to conceal them around a nearby corner.

Aria strode back up to the door and withdrew Ritsuko's access card. The access code itself was stored in their databases and had been easy enough for her to retrieve, so now there was just one last hurdle for her to overcome.

Well, _eight_ hurdles, assuming the vice-captain had been telling the truth.

The observation window was just one level up, however Aria knew she couldn't risk the detour, not now.

Once more, there was only one thing for it.

Aria set the access card in the reader and began punching in numbers...

-Ω-

No soldier had said a word since the vice-captain had left. They were simply there to observe, and to protect the world outside from what hung restrained within the circle of pillars.

None of the troops had friends or even close colleagues among those killed by the Fifteenth Angel (Tentative), as he'd been designated, neither did they have any associates among those he had saved with the deployment of his A.T Field. No, such things had been filtered out by the MAGI in their selection.

Weapons were raised almost automatically when the doors suddenly slid open.

The troops exchange glances. No forward announcement of a visit had been sent, nor was it time to report in.

The doors were simply open, but nobody had entered.

One of the officers emerged from his position to lean about and look at the empty doorway.

He looked to his commander at the rear of the room for guidance.

Door malfunction did not equate to a breach of containment.

The commander nodded ahead and the lone soldier edged forward, his weapon at the ready. By the time he reached the threshold, he registered that the two men who should've been stationed outside were in fact missing from their posts.

Suddenly, and before the man could react, there came a flash of movement.

Something emerged from around the blind corner and closed the two meter distance in one swift, loping stride. A pair of hands impacted the soldier's upper chest, and suddenly he was falling backwards. A foot was suddenly hovering over his torso as he fell. That foot was then driven downwards, slamming the man into the ground as the figure springboarded over him and into a forward roll.

Something was slammed against the lower leg of the suspended Angel/human in the middle of the room as the intruder passed by him.

The figure carried on moving, rolling to a halt beyond the obelisk and leaping into concealment behind the pillars at the opposite end of the chamber.

There were murmurs of shock amongst the men and they looked to their leader for instructions. Suddenly, the man nearest to where the figure had vanished was dragged down and out of sight, followed swiftly by the man at the pillar adjacent just seconds later.

"Sterilize!" Roared the commander, and the remaining soldiers instantly trained their weapons on the prisoner, opening fire without hesitation. All but one anyway…

Bullets danced harmlessly over the kinetic barrier now protecting the still form of Shinji Ikari, who was completely oblivious of the death now desperately gnawing at the thin defense that had been thrown up around him.

The firing stopped the instant the troops realized what was happening. The man by the door that Aria had drove into the floor staggered up to make a run for the device clipped loosely to their prisoner's leg. He only got half-way however before a shot rang out from the shadows and he let out a muffled, horrible screech of agony before being turned instantly to flame by the incendiary round that had struck him in the chest.

Another soldier tried the same tactic, only this time by diving into the open. He was caught mid-air by the next shot and found himself transformed into little more than a cloud of ash floating on the air currents.

A sphere of shimmering light appeared in the air across the room, and two men found themselves yanked helplessly afloat.

A purple bolt of light shot out from the dark and struck the distortion. Both flare and singularity combined into a deafening biotic explosion that shook the entire chamber. The two men were reduced to a mere scattering of limbs and a good quarter of the pillars were turned into worthless black shards as a result.

Shinji's brow twitched, a semblance of awareness about his surroundings suddenly coming to him.

"Close on target!" ordered the leader, and the remaining men split up to circle around the remaining pillars.

There was a flicker of movement in the shadows, of something circling around the perimeter of the room. Again, one man made a move for the prisoner, only for the barrel of a pistol to emerge between two pillars and he was dust before his hand could even come close to the Omnitool.

The remaining soldiers spread out, retreating for cover behind the remaining pillars and pieces of equipment. They knew now that going out into the open would be nothing short of a death sentence.

The commander tensed as a choked gargle sounded off to one side. He kept himself pressed flat against his pillar and slid out to look down upon one of his own men. A shimmering orange blade was embedded in his upper left torso, and he was just in time to see the man twitch one final time before going still.

He bent down and pulled the knife quickly free before standing up once more. He examined the translucent blade before gripping it by the hilt in readiness.

"I'm actually going to need that back…" breathed a voice in his ear, and the soldier didn't even have time to react before a knee slammed into the hilt of the knife and drove it sideways through his armor and into his chest, piercing both heart and lung in one plunge.

The commander staggered back against the wall and slid to the floor. His hand drifted towards one of the grenades clipped to his belt, but a boot pressed down on his weakening forearm before it could even finish moving an inch. He was finished off when a violet hand reached down and pulled the blade embedded in his chest free.

Aria stowed the Omni-blade away and then stood back up again. She took a second to dust herself down before leaning around the black column to survey the room. A single black-clad figure on the opposite side of the chamber flinched and then swung back into hiding.

Aria smirked.

'One to go…'

Since Aria could easily make out the smaller, trembling form from where she now stood, she chose to ignore it for now and instead finally permitted her gaze to settle on what lay in the very center of the room.

Aria's eyes lingered on the restrained form that she had come so far for.

He was so near. Just mere feet separated them now.

Shinji was chained, bound and helpless, and Aria couldn't help but admire the almost theatrical quality that his restraints gave to the whole affair.

Aria's footsteps echoed about the now silent chamber as she emerged into the open and approached the bound form slowly.

She stood over him in silence for a moment, hands by her sides, before daring to slowly reach out towards him.

Her fingertips came close enough to feel the very heat from his body, when a shaky voice from across the room shouted, "That's close enough!"

Aria's outstretched fingers clenched themselves slowly back into a fist, and she withdrew the hand to her side once more.

She walked calmly around Shinji's still form, allowing her hand to trace up the side of his bare arm as she went. Even after she'd passed by him she never broke the contact, not when she was this close.

Aria lounged almost casually back against the rear of the obelisk, her hands resting idly atop Shinji's shoulders behind her as she regarded the last of those choosing to stand in her way, "What's your name?"

The black outline flinched and then vanished again as it went back into hiding.

Aria smirked, "You haven't fired a single shot yet. If you hadn't spoken out, then I probably would've just ignored you. So I'll ask again: _name_?"

There was a pause, followed by a shuffle of movement as a helmet was pulled free and then dropped to the ground with a clunk. Aria watched it roll to a halt as long brown hair cascaded free around the pillar. That action was followed by the sound of someone taking several long, calming breaths.

"Kodama…" said the figure, "Kodama Horaki."

Aria glanced at the time indicator on her Omnitool. There were a few moments to spare, "And what is your supposed plan of action, Kodama Horaki?"

The tall, slender figure glanced sidelong about the pillar. Her weapon was held tightly against her chest with one arm, "_Well_ ma'am…" said Kodama, her tone perfectly polite, "I was supposing that I could just blow all three of us to whatever hell it was you just clawed yourself out of." And only then did she finally emerge in full. A string of grenades was dangling in her left hand, the pins interconnected by a single red thread, "How does that work for you?"

Aria looked down upon the slightly shorter woman to assess her. Her hair was a mess from being compressed into a helmet and a cold sweat was visible on her freckled features. And while her words may have been defiant, the fear in her eyes was clear.

"So that's why you were hanging back…" said Aria, "Putting that little surprise together, were you? What a good little soldier you must be."

"I figure with enough explosive power not even that barrier will be enough to save him."

Aria inclined her head ponderingly, "That might be true…for a kinetic barrier at the very least."

Kodama's brow furrowed, "W-what are you talking about?"

"Nothing," replied Aria, extending just one of her hands toward the Horaki woman, "Go right ahead."

"Wh-what aren't you telling me?"

Aria smiled, "Many things, but do you really think that a kinetic barrier is the only defense I have? Why don't you just set off your toys and I'll show you another."

"Y-you think I won't?"

"I think I don't care either way…" she then paused before adding, "I will however make you this offer: let me free him and leave, and I might just forget that I ever saw you."

There was a look of shock in the woman's eyes, followed quickly by a changing of something, and Aria immediately knew she'd pressed precisely the wrong buttons.

She began gathering dark energy in preparation.

"Free him…" breathed Kodama, "Free…an _Angel_?"

Aria said nothing.

"Don't you understand?" asked Kodama, her voice suddenly small, "I've seen what happens…" she said, "I've seen what things like him _do _unchecked."

There were tears in Horaki's eyes now as she shook her head, "Don't you _get it_? There's barely any of this world left standing!" Kodama flourished her hand out to one side, "Free an Angel?" she growled, glaring out at Aria through red, wet eyes as pins rained down around them.

Kodama flung the belt of grenades up into the air and then stepped fearlessly out into the open, squaring right up to Aria in the process, "I would rather _die_…"

Aria gritted her teeth with frustration and flicked her hand directly up into the air. A dome of dark energy flowed out around them an instant before the grenades detonated.

There was a slight look of strain on Aria's face as the explosions smashed against her shield, shaking the very ground underneath them in the process.

Aria then exhaled, dropping her hand back to her side as the barrier vanished. She then returned her attention to the woman still standing before her.

Kodama had turned as white as a sheet and was frozen in shock, "W-what?" and she let out a shocked squeak as Aria promptly headbutted her square in the face, knocking her out on the spot.

"_Moron…_" said Aria with a shake of her head before immediately returning her attention to more important matters.

-α-

A weight was being lifted.

That was the only way Shinji could describe the sensation. It was as if some crushing mass was being lifted off an entire portion of his existence, and suddenly everything was flowing free once more.

He could feel that his senses were bring dulled. Something was coursing through his system, slowing him down.

'Sedative…?'

Shinji didn't try to direct his Angelic nature in any way; that wasn't how it worked. Those born of the tree of life were beings of instinct.

Instead, he just let it happen…

The molecules of anesthetic in his blood began to disperse as his metabolism was accelerated to hasten the removal process.

His mind began to fully clear, and he became aware of a presence.

There was someone near him. The restraints on his arms were coming free. Someone was releasing him.

The last binding was broken free and gravity took hold. Shinji braced himself, expecting a short drop followed quickly by the sharp pain of his face slamming into the floor.

It didn't come.

He was motionless.

Someone was _holding_ him. There were arms about him now; holding him with an embrace that was as firm as it was tender.

Before Shinji could recognise the scent, or even the shape and contours of the body against him, it was that embrace he remembered best; how he knew those arms. He'd lain safe in them so many times before after all.

'Can't be…'

Through his rising level of consciousness, a familiar voice spoke down over him with a weary affection, "The things I do for love…"

-Ω-

Having removed the restraints and IV, Aria was crouched in the middle of the chamber, the still form of Shinji Ikari draped in her arms. She opened her mouth to speak once more, but she hesitated when the hand resting limply atop her forearm began to tighten. His other shifted also and came to rest atop her thigh before gripping it tight too.

"Sh-"

"-I'm sorry…" came the barely audible whisper, cutting her off.

Aria drew him closer still, a fingertip moving to trace the bruise that lined one side of his eye.

"What for?" she asked.

"For a while back there, I lost faith…that you might be coming."

A pair of moist, sad blue eyes opened to peer up at her, "I'm so sorry, Aria…"

Now that they were alone, Aria permitted her expression to soften, if only just a little, "Idiot... That's not something you need to apologize for. I _suppose_ I should apologise for being late…"

Shinji managed a smile; that stupid little reluctant smile that Aria couldn't help but sort of like, "Aria T'Loak is never late…" he said weakly, "the galaxy just needs to slow down."

"You do say the sweetest things."

His smile widened a fraction of an inch, "It's my job…"

Aria took that opportunity to draw him closer and press her lips to his. She savoured the contact for the longest of moments before slowly, reluctantly pulling back again, "In my defense: It has only been a few days."

Shinji's gaze went distant, "I waited an eternity to meet you, but for some reason…those few days felt like longer."

Aria just shook her head, smiling just slightly, "If you're trying to make me want to jump you right here and now, you really do just have to ask."

Shinji smiled wider and then rotated his head in a circle to do a survey of the room, "As much as making love amongst the still-warm corpses of your enemies may appeal to me, I really think we should be getting out of here."

Aria inclined her head, "Can you stand?"

"I'll try…" he said, and she assisted him slowly up to his feet.

Shinji staggered a step, and it took him a moment to find his legs again, "I think I'm fine…" he assured, however Aria only took her arm away once she was sure he wouldn't fall flat on his face the instant she let go.

Shinji stretched his arms up to elicit a satisfying crack from his back, "Ahh…that is _so_ much better. They had me chained to a _slab_ you know."

"So I saw. I thought the shirtless distressed damsel look worked well on you."

Shinji looked down at himself, "_Yes_, and on that note…"and he trailed off when Aria retreated from the room only to return a few seconds later and toss a pile of clothes into his arms, "and she read my mind…" he murmured, and then quickly proceeded to slip back into the rest of his regular attire.

Shinji bent down to collect his Omnitool. He paused half crouched however, and frowned when he sighted the woman lying on the floor just beyond the pillar.

"At least one's still alive," and he cocked his head almost curiously, "_Huh_…"

"What is it?"

"I don't know, looks familiar for some reason." He then shook his head dismissively, "It's probably not important."

"Are you strong enough to move?"

Shinji nodded, adjusting his Omnitool into place as Aria returned his sidearm to him, "I think I'll manage," he said, limping forwards an experimental step, "just don't ask me to run for a while. I'll be fine once I've gotten out of this room for a bit."

Aria draped an arm about his shoulder for additional support and then escorted him out into the open.

-Ω-

They made it out of the isolation section a moment later and Shinji looked about the empty foyer, "No other guards?" he mused with a frown, "Where is everyone?"

"Otherwise preoccupied," replied Aria, "Let's just say everything's being handled."

"Yeah, I was actually about to bring that up. I'm guessing you came through that Mass Relay you hurled at us…"

Aria nodded, eyes continually surveying the room, "Correct."

"I take it therefore you also have a ship."

She inclined her head in acknowledgement, "And Tevos has been secured also."

Shinji nodded thoughtfully, "Well that's a relief. Who else is here? I...don't hear any commotion going on. I half-expected it to be a warzone out here."

"I only brought a small boarding party with me. They're with the Councillor now."

"How many?"

"Just three excluding myself. That's all we need for now."

She took a step forwards, "Aria…" said Shinji, stopping her.

She looked back at him, "What is it?"

"We can't just leave…"

Her brow furrowed, "Go on."

"My father…the _version_ of my father from this reality, he has my Unit-01."

"Your point?"

"My _point_ is that both it and I are bonded to that breach out there. I can't go back through without it."

Aria turned ahead again and began walking towards the gap in the hull, looking out over the horizon, "Then we'll fly in and take it."

Shinji shook his head and walked up to her side, "You can't just take it. By now my father will have amassed an entire force of mass production EVAs, as well as other defences that you can't penetrate without an A.T. Field. If we want to get back Unit-01 then we're going to need this ship to do it."

Aria inclined her head, "I still don't see a problem."

Shinji frowned, "You don't? Aria, it's not like WILLE will agree to _work_ with us now. I mean, I'm guessing you had to hurt more than just the people in that room to get at me."

"Just a few…" she admitted, "But there's still no problem. Whether the people on this ship want to work with us or not will soon be of very little consequence. In fact, very soon their opinions will be meaningless."

"I don't-"he cut off the end of his own sentence however, "Oh tell me you're _not…_"

Aria smiled grimly, "Are you ready, my Shinji, to learn _why_ they call me the Pirate Queen?"

Shinji sighed, "I don't suppose there's any way I can talk you out of it…"

"Unfortunately not. This is my show now. I will however _try_ and make it as quick and painless for the natives as possible."

Shinji frowned, "But I don't understand. It's not like you can just take the Wunder with a party of four…five including me, _six_ at a stretch if Tevos helps out."

Aria nodded, "I'm aware of that. Our group just came to secure you and the councillor, and also to lay the groundwork for what comes next."

"And what does come next?"

Aria didn't respond. Instead, she continued watching as a shaft of light peaked out from over the horizon.

Dawn had come.

Shinji glanced down at Aria's Omnitool as an indicator light began blinking, "What is it?"

Aria looked down, "It's time…"

Shinji watched as Aria tapped a few controls on the device. A communications link was opened, "Is everything ready?" she asked.

To Shinji's surprise, what he had to assume was EDEN's voice responded, "Everything's in place. We're ready to begin."

"Excellent." She then tapped another control, switching channels, "Are you in position?"

Tisala's voice then replied, "We're ready and waiting. Just give the word. How are things on your end?"

"All objectives are secured. If EDEN's done her job as she says then we can assume everything's now in position. We're good to go."

"Tisala, you're here too?" chimed in Shinji, leaning over Aria's arm.

"_Shinji_," responded Tisala happily, "are you-"

"-He's _fine_," cut in Aria, nudging Shinji's forehead back with her index finger, "We can all celebrate later. Right now we've got a job to do. We were taking this ship on principle before but now it's for a reason. So let's make sure this all goes smoothly. "

"Understood, Aria," responded Tisala, "We've marked your positions. Now I suggest you both find somewhere nice and out of the way for a while to sit this part out."

"Thank you, I know the plan," replied Aria, "Now begin Phase Two."

"Understood, Aria, Thunder Child out..."

Shinji looked to Aria as she drew him away from the side with her, "What are you doing, what's happening, Aria?"

"We've spent the past few hours getting the pieces into place. Now comes the fun part."

"The fun part being?"

Aria smirked, "Shaking up the nest…"

And Shinji would've queried further, but he found himself cut off by the crash of a dozen javelin torpedoes slamming into the Wunder's outer hull.

The assault had begun…

_To be continued…_

-Ω-

So, yes, as far as cliffhangers go, I will admit this one is probably a little mean even by my standards, but I'm happy that I can finally cut loose in a literary sense now that things are properly moving again, but overall, this little number was quite a delight to write and I Hope you had fun. And if you're feeling morally conflicted as to whom to root for, if even a little, then I suppose that's just me doing my job correctly. Regardless, I hoped this little number brightened up your day just a little and I'll just say toodles for now. I hope to see y'all next time.

Catch you in Chapter 7: War of the Worlds (Part 2): The Thunder Child


End file.
